


Death of a Legend

by mewgirl1995



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Major Character Injury, Retirement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-18 22:22:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 27,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9405545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mewgirl1995/pseuds/mewgirl1995
Summary: “Viktor Nikiforov has fallen! Medics are standing by, waiting to see if he can stand on his own!”Less significant hip injuries than his had forced much younger skaters into retirement. His stomach dropped and he felt as if he would throw up at any second. It was over. His skating career was finished. The legendary figure skater Viktor Nikiforov was no more.





	1. Loss

Cheers erupted from the crowd as Viktor Nikiforov skated out onto the ice. “After the Grand Prix Final you’ll have a new poster,” Phichit teased, poking Yuuri in his side. They sat side by side on Phichit's bed with the NHK Trophy livestream playing on Phichit's computer. Yuuri laughed along with his friend. A beautiful aria rang out from the speakers. That year Viktor chose an Italian song "Stay Close to Me" for his free skate. "Don't look so lovestruck Yuuri."

"What? I don't at all!" Yuuri said, blushing a bit.

"You're probably going to trip all over yourself when you meet him, right?" Phichit gestured to the screen. "How can you compare to such elegance?" Yuuri playfully shoved him. "You better get his autograph at the Grand Prix Final okay?" Yuuri nodded, smiling a little.

Dancing through his routine, Viktor gave the crowd a perfect performance. Yuuri watched with a huge smile, heart pounding in his chest. Soon Yuuri would be skating on the same ice as his idol. “Nikiforov’s last quad is his signature move: the quadruple flip.” As Viktor went into the jump, Yuuri noticed something was off. His foot seemed to catch on the ice, pushing him into the jump wrong. He over-rotated the jump and then came crashing down onto his right leg. Yuuri and Phichit watched in horror as Viktor then landed on his hip and rolled across the ice. For a moment the music continued to play, but then screeched to a stop when Viktor continued to lay on the ice. “Viktor Nikiforov has fallen! Medics are standing by, waiting to see if he can stand on his own!”

“Viktor!” Yuuri exclaimed, covering his mouth in shock. He watched in horror as Viktor struggled to stand, but he couldn’t move his leg. Slipping and sliding on the ice, Viktor attempted to get up onto his uninjured leg, but he lacked the balance to stand fully. His skate slid and sent him falling back onto the ice. He writhed in pain for a few more moments, before giving up and rolling over onto his back to signal he needed assistance. Tears flowed down Viktor’s face, and he laid an arm across his eyes to hide them.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Phichit whispered in shock.

Yuuri’s phone began to buzz and he glanced down to see a text from Yuuko, “Did you see that Viktor fell?”

Again, it buzzed, this time showing a text from Minako. “VIKTOR FELL!!!”

“Is he going to be alright?” Yuuri wondered out loud, clutching his phone to his chest as he watched the medics carry Viktor off the ice. Phichit and Yuuri shared an unsure look, barely listening to the commentators. Tears began to form in Yuuri’s eyes. “He’ll be alright, right?” Phichit shrugged and closed the laptop. 

An hour later, news stories began to come out. “Major Hip Dislocation and Fracture Sends Nikiforov into Surgery!” One title read. Another announced, “Nikiforov Out for the Season!” Yuuri’s hands trembled as he scrolled through them. “Nikiforov: Does This Mean Retirement?” Near the end of the news feed, Yuuri found one especially eye-opening title, “The Grand Prix Finals: Anyone’s Game.”

When Viktor awoke from surgery, Yakov stood by his side. The old man hurried over and held his hand tight, smiling down at him as best as he could. “How do you feel Vitya?”

“Still hurts,” Viktor groaned. “Surely they have more painkillers.” Viktor began to sit up, but Yakov placed a firm hand on his chest to push him back down again.

“They said you need to rest up for today so you can start rehabilitation tomorrow,” Yakov said with a scolding tone. "Don't push yourself too fast."

Viktor nodded, a grin crossing his face. "Good. There's still two weeks until the Grand Prix Final and-" Viktor broke off when he realized he never finished his free skate. "Though I suppose I won't be participating in it. Well, Russian Nationals is about a month away. I'll be strong enough by then."

Yakov's smiled became strained. Before he could say anything, the door opened, and a young Japanese doctor came into the room. "Oh good, you're awake." He walked over and pulled up a stool next to Viktor as Yakov stepped aside. "We'll need to discuss your physical therapy. You'll need at least three months of rehab to get you fully walking again. We can transfer everything to your normal hospital in St. Petersberg and-"

"Three months?" Viktor cut in. There went any chance of participating at Russian Nationals. "How long until I can skate again?"

"Well, it depends on your progress," The doctor said. He hesitated and stared down at the chart for a while. "You experienced what's called a subtrochonteric fracture. It's moderately severe, and your hip will likely be a little unstable for the rest of your life. I am not certain that you will ever be able to skate at the same level you have been." Viktor stared back at the doctor in shock. "Jumps are certainly out of the question, but I'm sure some light skating will be possible in the future."

Shaken, Viktor leaned back in his bed and stared up at the ceiling. Less significant hip injuries than his had forced much younger skaters into retirement. His stomach dropped, and he felt as if he would throw up at any second. It was over. His skating career was finished. The legendary figure skater Viktor Nikiforov was no more. Even there in the hospital room, Viktor thought about how pitiful it was that only his coach was there to comfort him after his injury. Shifting in bed, Viktor lifted up the covers to look at the surgery site. It was covered in bandages. 

It was easy to not move for the rest of the day. Viktor scrolled through article after article discussed his injuries and his retirement. He obsessed over the Twitter and Instagram feeds of fellow skaters. They were all still working hard for the Grand Prix Finals. After his injury, all of the skaters at the NHK Trophy posted some hopeful acknowledgment of Viktor's injury. At one point Chris texted him, “how are you? <3” Viktor ignored the text and tossed his phone aside. Frustrated, he threw back his head and stared up at the ceiling. He imagined the Grand Prix Finals and pictured the top six skaters that would be there. Without him there, Chris would win gold finally. The Canadian skater Jean-Jaques Leroy would win silver. Viktor could not guess who would win bronze. With a heavy sigh, Viktor reached for his phone again. Unlocking it, Viktor scrolled through the profiles of the four competitors he didn’t know made it into the finals. He recognized Cao Bin, Michele Crispino, and Otabek Altin’s names. One name, however, was unfamiliar. Yuuri Katsuki from Japan. Viktor stared at the man’s picture for a while before setting his phone aside.

“Don’t push yourself,” The doctor told Viktor as he helped him get out of bed the following day. “Your leg will likely hurt quite a bit since it’s still healing and remodeling.” Viktor nodded, but nothing could have prepared him for the searing pain of when he set his foot down. He sucked in a quick breath and scrunched his eyes shut. “Here, use the crutches. You’ll have to go through physical therapy twice a day. We can do that here for now until you want to return to St. Petersburg.” 

With a sigh, Viktor followed the doctor down the hall to the physical therapy room. He felt pitiful. All eyes were on him and he occasionally could hear whispers, “Look it’s Viktor Nikiforov! Do you ever think he’ll skate again?”

“He’s still in the hospital? He must have really injured himself.”

“I wonder who will win the Grand Prix Finals this year?”

After the first day of listening to those whispers, Viktor wore headphones and buried himself in music every moment he was around other people. Often, he found himself listening to his program songs over and over again. He had nothing but skating in his life, and even that had slipped away faster than he could blink. There were plenty of delusional people who still wished Viktor luck in his recovery and spoke about how excited they were to see him return. After a while, scrolling through encouraging tweets he tossed his phone aside in disgust.

When it came time to remove the bandage, Viktor could only stare at the hideous scar on his side. "It healed well," The doctor said, though Viktor disagreed. Several inches long, the jagged, red wound spread along Viktor's right leg and hip. Scabs peeled around it, making it look even uglier than if it was an open wound. "I expect it to be fully healed in a few days." Viktor nodded, continuing to stare at the scar with an ashamed look.

When Viktor was released from the hospital, and he returned to St. Petersberg he decided he wanted to be anywhere else than the wretched city. His name was plastered everywhere on every news channel and every magazine and newspaper. It sickened him. Then, every day he would trek back and forth between the hospital and his apartment, passing by the skating rink. One day it was too much. Viktor sat in his empty apartment, rubbing Makkachin's ears when he decided that enough was enough. He wanted to flee and never be seen again. While browsing a list of quiet vacation spots, he came across Hasetsu, Japan. “One notable destination is the Yu-topia Katsuki hot springs resort! This small hideaway spot is quiet, secluded and has a familial vibe,” The article read. Viktor leaned back on his couch and scrolled through the provided pictures. The inn looked inviting and comforting, and Viktor was sure that bathing in a hot spring every night would aid with the pain in his hip. He flipped his phone around to show Makkachin.

“Let’s go here,” Viktor looked to his dog with a small smile. He barked back and wagged. “Good boy. I bet you’ll have fun right. We haven’t spent a lot of time together recently, huh?” He rubbed behind the poodle’s ears as he spoke. “Your birthday’s coming up. Twelve years young, right Makkachin?” His hand slowed, and Makkachin stared back with a confused look. “Let’s spend lots of time together okay?” Viktor leaned his forehead against Makkachin's. "At least I still have you."

It was dark in the club skating rink as Yuuri absentmindedly skated circles along the ice. With his eyes closed, he practiced a few spins and step sequences before trying his luck at his quadruple Salchow. He landed it without a problem. With a sigh, he wondered if he could ever consistently land it in competition. Yuuri looped around the rink again and then skated to the middle of the ice. He pulled out his phone and put in his earphones. At first, Yuuri planned to practice his routine, but as he scrolled through the music his finger stopped right above “Stay Close to Me.” He hit play and let himself drift through Viktor’s routine. It was stupid, but skating the routine comforted Yuuri. He let himself wonder how Viktor was doing and hoped for the best. After skating it for almost a week, Yuuri almost knew the whole routine and once he was confident he began to practice his jumps to the music. The day before, he managed to land a quadruple flip successfully for the first time.

“How did he mess it up?” Yuuri wondered aloud after performing the jump. “If someone like me can do it...” He already knew the answer. Sometimes figure skaters made mistakes. It was common for them to get injured, though it rarely happened in competitions. Years ago, Viktor injured himself from failing a jump, but that was during practice, and he hit his head. Yuuri frowned and pulled out his earphones. It was starting to get late.

“Yuuri!” Phichit waved from the sidelines, grinning like a maniac. “Have you been sneaking off to the rink to practice Viktor’s routine?”

Embarrassed, Yuuri shook his head and skated over to his friend. “It’s just to help calm my nerves about the Grand Prix Finals.”

“And your nerves about Viktor?” Phichit guessed, leaning over the wall.

Yuuri lowered his eyes to the floor. “Do you think he’s alright?” He asked softly. “He looked devastated, laying there on the ice and he hasn’t said anything to the press or posted anything online or-”

“Relax Yuuri,” Phichit said, grabbing his friend’s shoulders. “I bet he just wants to take some time off to process it all.” Yuuri gulped and nodded, staring at Phichit with a frown. Viktor needed time to process that his skating career was over. No one, not even the legendary Viktor Nikiforov, could recover from such a horrendous injury. “You should focus on the Grand Prix Finals. They’re only a few days away!”

“Right,” Yuuri said.

"But for now,” Phichit said as he yawned. “Let’s get to sleep. It’s almost 1 in the morning! Celestino is going to be mad if he knew you were practicing late at night again.”

“You’re right,” Yuuri said, skating over to the rink’s exit. He slipped the blade guards back onto his skates and walked over to the benches. “It’s just easier to practice when no one else is watching.”

“You even landed a quad flip,” Phichit said, whistling. “Maybe you’ll win the Grand Prix Finals!”

The fact that winning the Grand Prix Finals was even possible made Yuuri feel sick. All it meant was that Viktor was gone. He was gone from figure skating forever. As Yuuri unlaced his skates and changed back into his tennis shoes, he wondered if he would ever get to meet his idol. The Grand Prix Finals would have been the perfect opportunity if Yuuri worked up the courage. He sighed and lowered his face into his hands. It hurt thinking about how much pain Viktor must have been in. He probably was still in pain, struggling to find meaning without figure skating. At least Yuuri had his family and friends to fall back on, but as far as he knew Viktor didn’t have anyone. As Yuuri stood, he looked back to the ice rink. All Viktor had was ice skating, and that had been stolen away from him. He must have been in agony.

“So far so good,” Viktor whispered to his dog as they walked through the Hasetsu airport. He wore a large pair of sunglasses and a flat cap to mask his hair. There were no posters of him and no magazines with him on the front cover. Instead, the walls were plastered with photos of the Japanese skater who made it into the Grand Prix Finals. The event was less than a day away. Enjoying the lack of attention, Viktor stopped to admire the posters. A ghost of a smile crossed his face. “He’s somewhat handsome, huh Makkachin?” Wagging his tail, Makkachin barked and then looked off at something in the distance. Yipping happily, the poodle took off. “Wait! Don’t run off!” Viktor struggled to catch up, hobbling along on his crutches.

Luckily, Makkachin had not gone far. He was busy sniffing another poodle. The other dog barely reached Makkachin’s shoulders, but had no fear of the larger dog. He squatted down, offering to play. Makkachin yipped, and the pair of dogs began wrestling. “Hey now, we’re near a busy street.” Viktor wrestled with his backpack, finding two leashes buried deep in it. “I’m not fast enough to keep up with you, so you’ll have to wear this okay?” He clipped one leash to Makkachin and then clipped the other to the smaller poodle. “You look lost, come along with me for now.”

Viktor reached out and flipped over the dog’s ID tag. “Vicchan,” The tag read, along with an address.

“Come on then Vicchan,” Viktor said, scratching the dog behind the ears. “Let’s get you home.”

Vicchan’s home also happened to be the Yu-topia inn. “Wow!” Viktor said, smiling as he examined the beautiful exterior. A freshly fallen layer of snow dusted the ancient looking statues. Vicchan barked and wagged, straining on the leash. “One second puppy,” Viktor said, struggling to get up the steps on his crutches. Panting heavily, he stared down at his leg in frustration.

“Vicchan!” A delighted voice exclaimed. “Where have you been?” An older Japanese woman stood at the entryway of the inn. Viktor released the leash and the little poodle went racing up to her. She scooped him up and smiled at Viktor. “Thank you for bringing him back. We were so worried.”

“Oh, it was no problem at all,” Viktor said, putting on a charming smile as he whipped off his sunglasses.

The woman stared at him, noticing his large backpack. “On vacation? Do you need a place to stay?”

“Actually about that,” Viktor said, hobbling up towards her. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

The woman’s name was Hiroko. Her and her husband, Toshiya, owned the inn and ran it with their daughter Mari. Their son was the Japanese figure skater Yuuri Katsuki. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you,” Hiroko said as she brought some tea over to the table Viktor sat at. “I don’t really know much about figure skating.”

“That’s preferable really,” Viktor said, sipping some of the tea. “I wanted to get away to a secluded, quiet place for a while.”

Hiroko nodded. “We would be happy to help, Vicchan,” She said. The nickname surprised Viktor, he glanced to the small poodle cuddled up to Makkachin. Was the dog named after him? “Yuuri is a huge fan of yours and we would love to help.” Viktor nodded, unsure of what to say. “There’s a quiet room in the back of the inn, near Yuuri’s room. No one will bother you there.”

“Perfect! Thank you so much!” A warm feeling filled Viktor’s chest. He had inspired someone so much they named their dog after him and became a figure skater who promptly made it to the Grand Prix Finals. Viktor always made sure to be kind to his fans, but he didn’t know much about them. His heart fell when he realized he would never inspire anyone like that again.

Just as Viktor hoped, the inn was quiet and secluded. Few people frequented it, and none of them recognized Viktor. He was ecstatic to make his way to the hot springs and relax in the soothing water, though he hated seeing his scar exposed. As he expected, the ache in his hip weakened when he sank into the warm water. “Amazing,” He murmured, leaning his head back. Up above, stars twinkled, lighting up the sky. Viktor chose to bathe late at night, just to avoid other people. He didn’t want to inconvenience others as he struggled to get around on his crutches. Plus, he doubted they would appreciate seeing the hideous scar from his surgery. The following day he would have to go to the physical therapist in Hasetsu. In the meantime, he wanted to relax and try not to think about the upcoming Grand Prix Finals. He figured Yuuri’s family would be watching them and planned to hide out in his room for the duration of them. It would hurt too much to watch. For the meantime, Viktor wanted to pretend he may heal someday. Running a hand over his scar on his right hip, Viktor hummed quietly to himself. It was stupid and pathetic, but Viktor wanted to hold onto that piece of his life for a little while longer. Ignoring the Grand Prix Finals would help with that.

The following evening, Viktor laid on his bed with his earphones in and music on full blast. The Instagram app updated continually, showing Chris’ new photos of himself at the Grand Prix Finals. Makkachin lay by Viktor’s side, licking his hand every once and a while as Viktor scratched him behind the ears. Before long, Viktor’s curiosity got the best of him, and he pulled up the results of the short program. He scanned through them, and his eyes widened in surprise. Jean-Jaques Leroy managed to get first, and Chris had slipped all the way down to fourth. Yuuri Katsuki was currently in third, while Cao Bin was in second. None of it was how Viktor predicted.

“Perhaps I’m not as disposable as I thought,” Viktor said softly. 

The following night, Viktor forced himself to watch the free skate. He lurked in the back of the room, sipping some sake and eating a bowl of katsudon Hiroko prepared for him. It was apparently Yuuri’s favorite. Watching his fellow figure skaters worsened the ache in Viktor’s hip and heart. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. When Yuuri skated out onto the ice, cheers erupted from all the patrons of the inn.

“Yuuri Katsuki, age 23, has done remarkably well for his first Grand Prix Final,” The announcer said. “We all wonder what he is capable of.”

Viktor leaned forward, watching as Yuuri began his program. His strengths were clearly his step sequences and spins. None of his jumps were perfect, but his skating was beautiful regardless. It made Viktor’s heartache and soon enough, tears streamed down his face. He hid his sobbing in his sleeve, but it didn’t stop until long after Yuuri finished skating. Rubbing at his eyes, he wondered why Yuuri provoked such a response from him. It wasn't his nostalgia from skating or else he would have cried at everyone's performances. _It's because he skates like his body is creating music._ Viktor thought to himself. _He's going to be a champion while the world forgets about me._ When the scores came in, Yuuri found himself in first place. He remained there until Jean-Jaques Leroy skated.

“Jean-Jaques Leroy is this year’s Grand Prix Champion!” The announcer said. The crowd broke into applause. Viktor watched the medal ceremony with a heavy heart. Cao Bin placed third, while Yuuri Katsuki managed to barely scoot by into second. Chris dropped even lower and placed in fifth below Michele Crispino. Otabek Altin finished last.

During the press conference reporters were dying to demand what drove Yuuri to win second. Blushing, the skater shrugged. “I just really wanted to do my best,” He said with a timid smile. “My family and friends have been very dedicated to me, and I want to thank them for that.” Cheers rang out through the inn. Both Hiroko and Tohsiya’s eyes shined with joy. “Oh and one more thing.” Yuuri smiled widely. “I know everyone’s been avoiding it, but I didn’t want him to be forgotten.” Viktor sat up a bit straighter, heart thudding in his chest. “I hope Viktor is doing well and he will recover soon. He’s been my idol since I was young and I-I well I never would have gotten this far if I had never seen him skate.” Tears gathered at the corners of Yuuri’s eyes. “I really hope he’s doing well!”

Several people glanced back to gauge Viktor’s reaction. Out of courtesy, none of them had said anything before, but they knew who he was and were obviously curious. Rubbing at his eyes, Viktor grabbed his crutches and struggled to his feet. It was late and time to go to bed. Makkachin hurried up to follow him having just woken up from his nap.

During the gala, Yuuri awkwardly wandered from conversation to conversation, being congratulated on his silver medal over and over again. He accepted the compliments and moved on, shyly skirting away from everyone. As he paced around the room, he overheard a conversation between Chris Giacometti and Yuri Plisetsky, the up and coming Russian skater who just won gold in the Junior Grand Prix.

“I haven’t heard a peep from him and neither has Yakov,” Yuri grumbled, tugging at his tie. “He could be dead for all we know!”

“He hasn’t responded to any of my texts,” Chris said with a sigh. “I have to admit, I’m really worried.”

“It’s not unlike Viktor to seal himself away from the rest of the world,” Yuri said, shrugging. “Though usually not for this long.” Chris nodded in agreement. “I even went by his apartment, Yakov has an extra key, so I busted in. It’s like he hasn’t been living there for weeks!”

“Where could he have gone?” Chris said, taking another sip of champagne.

“Wherever he’s gone, it’s damn selfish of that old man to abandon us,” Yuri said, nearly snarling. “Screw him.” Chris shot Yuri a shocked look, but the Russian Punk didn’t care. He ran a hand through his hair and continued, “He’s just moping in his own self-pity! So what if he can’t skate anymore, there’s still plenty of us that still care about him!” With a frustrated sigh, Yuri slammed his glass of water down on the table and glanced across the room, spotting Yuuri. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Hello,” Yuuri said nervously. He hoped the pair didn’t realize he was eavesdropping.

“Congrats,” Yuri said as he lips twisted into a wry smile. “But don’t get too excited. I’ll be winning gold next year.”

Chris smiled a bit, though it looked sad. “Congrats Yuuri,” He said, squeezing his shoulder. “Though maybe you should try something a bit sexier next year. Your innocence is cute and all, but-”

“Your sexiness didn’t win,” Yuri cut in.

“That’s because Viktor was gone,” Chris snapped back at the blonde. “What’s the point of competing without him?” With that said, Chris sulked away, hands shoved in his pockets.

By the time Yuuri returned to Detroit, he felt drained and exhausted. “Do you think Viktor heard what you said?” Phichit asked as they sat together on Phichit’s bed, playing with his hamsters. Yuuri shrugged, gently petting one of the hamsters. “I bet it flattered him.”

“I really do hope he’s okay,” Yuuri said.

Phichit turned to say something else, but broke off as tears began streaming down Yuuri’s cheeks. “Yuuri!”

“I-I’m sorry,” Yuuri said and hurried to wipe off his face. “I-I-I just-” He broke off and stared over at one of his posters of Viktor.

“Oh Yuuri,” Phichit said, pulling Yuuri in for a tight hug. “I’m sure he’s fine! He probably just wants to be out of the spotlight for a while. I would if I were him.” Yuuri nodded, continuing to rub at his eyes. If he was Viktor, he would hide for the rest of his life. “I’m sure he’ll be back next season! Don’t dwell on it so much. There’s still the Japanese Nationals and World Championships to focus on!”

“You’re right,” Yuuri muttered.

Despite what Phichit said, Yuuri found himself at the rink several hours later. Even though he was exhausted, he went through Viktor’s routine again and again, desperate to feel closer to him. He landed all of the jumps perfectly. Yuuri clenched his hands and ran through the routine again. Earlier that evening when Yuuri spoke to his mom, she assured him that she thought Viktor was fine and on his way to recovery. Yuuri was grateful for that comforting thought but knew there was no way Hiroko could know that. So he skated to “Stay Close to Me” over and over again until his body ached as much as his heart.

When Viktor woke up, he found himself alone. More than two months had passed since Viktor’s injury and he had been relying less and less on the crutches and instead switched over to using a cane. His hip still ached terribly, but daily soaks in the hot springs eased the pain. The physical therapy seemed to be doing little good to help his hip return to its former condition. It seemed that he would have a limp for the rest of his life. “Makkachin,” Viktor called, whistling for his dog. “Come back; I’m lonely.” It sounded pathetic even to his ears. When Makkachin failed to come, Viktor groaned and rolled out of bed, snatching his cane from where it leaned against the wall. Searing pain shot up his right leg as he stood, but he pushed through it. “Makkachin, where are you?” Viktor limped out into the hallway and glanced up and down it, noticing that the door to Yuuri Katsuki’s room had been pushed open. “Are you getting into trouble?” After a moment’s hesitation, Viktor stumbled into the room. Makkachin laid curled up with Vicchan on the small bed. “There you are.” Makkachin raised his head and wagged. As Viktor glanced around the room he sucked in a gasp of surprise.

Posters of Viktor covered every wall in Yuuri Katsuki’s room. Viktor leaned against the bed and sunk to the ground, laying his cane in his lap. Surrounded by images of his former glory, Viktor felt overwhelmed. His chest tightened as his eyes skirted from picture to picture. The posters went back as far as Viktor’s win at the Junior Grand Prix. Viktor stared at the poster with a solemn smile. Back then, he still had his long hair. Since his injury, Viktor hadn’t cut his hair. It barely seemed much longer, but it tickled his neck more than before. For a moment, he wondered if he should grow it out again.

Vicchan yipped and scrambled over to the edge of the bed to lick Viktor’s face. “Thank you,” He said, laughing as he scratched the dog’s head. “You seem as sweet as your owners.” Not wanting to be left out, Makkachin whined. With a small smile, Viktor leaned over and scratched behind his dog’s ears. “Don’t worry. I won’t forget about you.” Viktor turned his eyes back to the posters. “Is this all that remains of me?” He wondered aloud. “Posters on the future World Champion’s wall?” A few tears threatened to spill out onto Viktor’s face, but he shook his head and wiped furiously at his eyes. Within the past few months, he cried much more than he ever wanted to. “No more feeling sorry for myself,” He declared. About two months remained until the World Figure Skating Championships. Viktor hoped he could pull himself together enough to make an appearance.

“Hello Vicchan, I didn’t expect to find you here.”

Viktor jumped and looked to the doorway to see Hiroko standing there. “Oh! I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. Makkachin wandered off and-”

“Don’t worry at all,” Hiroko said. “I hope you’re not embarrassed.” She looked fondly at the posters all over Yuuri’s wall. “He really looks up to you.”

A ghost of a smile passed over Viktor’s lips. “I can tell,” He said with a wry grin. Then he realized something else that never occurred to him before, “He doesn’t know I’m here.”

“You asked us not to tell anyone,” Hiroko said simply. “I didn’t want to go against your wishes even if it was for Yuuri.” She sighed and shook her head. “Though he seems so devastated not knowing how you are.” Viktor remained silent. He didn’t want the rest of the skating world to know where he disappeared to. Yakov would lecture him, and Yuri would beg for him to return to Russia. All Viktor wanted was to hide away for the time being. He would gather his strength and return on his own terms. “I wanted to pass on an offer to you Vicchan.”

Curious, Viktor glanced up at Hiroko. “What is it?”

“Yuuri’s childhood friend owns the local skating rink here,” Hiroko began with a gentle tone. She knelt next to Viktor and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She wanted to extend an offer for you to try skating again if your leg will allow it. She’s a big fan too. You can go late at night when no one else is there.” The thought of skating again made Viktor’s chest tighten, and for a second he thought he couldn’t breathe. Hiroko must have noticed his panicked look. She squeezed his shoulder and added on, “But don’t feel rushed, okay?”

Viktor nodded and managed a weak smile, “Okay. I do want to get out on the ice again.” He still had two months to prepare. “Soon maybe.”

It took another month before Viktor worked up the courage to step out onto the Ice Castle’s rink. Viktor had not brought his own skates so he borrowed a pair of rental skates. They felt awkward and heavy on his feet. Yuuri’s friend was a kind woman named Yuuko. “Do they feel okay?” She asked with a worried look. “I know how weird it is to wear rentals after owning your own pair for so long.”

“They’re fine,” Viktor said. His words came out more curt and annoyed than he intended. Despite that, Yuuko still beamed at him. “So this is where the Grand Prix silver medalist grew up skating?” Viktor had to admit, the Ice Castle was bland compared to his home rink. Though it had a kind feeling to it as well.

“Yuuri and I used to skate together all the time,” Yuuko said. She stared out across the ice with a fond smile. “We used to copy your routines to improve our technique. It was also really fun!” A small smile crossed Viktor’s face. “Yuuri said if he ever lost inspiration he just had to look to you.” It was ironic that Vikor had begun to lose his inspiration before his injury. Sometimes he thought everything had happened at the right time, but Viktor wanted to retire of his own choice. An injury forcing him into retirement bruised his self-esteem. He took in a deep breath and stared across the rink. For a moment, he hdesperately hoped that he could skate again. “Ready?” Yuuko asked and offered her hand. Viktor stared at it for a long time before reaching out. The moment he stood, pain shot up his right leg into his hip, but he ignored it, instead choosing to press forward. He limped awkwardly, leaning on Yuuko for support. She stepped onto the ice first. “Please don’t push yourself too hard,” She said in a comforting tone that reminded Viktor of Hiroko. “We all want you to recover, but it’ll take time.” Before Viktor placed his skate onto the ice, she quickly added, “Are you sure you want to do this Viktor?”

Putting on the largest and fakest smile he could muster Viktor replied, “Of course, I’m the legendary Viktor Nikiforov after all.”

Everything felt wrong. Viktor’s feet slipped in and out under him, and he would have fallen if not for Yuuko’s support. His right side felt especially weak; atrophied from lack of use. “Are you okay?” Yuuko asked again and again.

“Fine,” Viktor said, growing more and more frustrated.

After several slow loops around the rink, Viktor pulled his hand away from Yuuko’s. “I want to try on my own.”

“Be careful,” Yuuko said and released his hand.

For a few moments, everything was fine. Viktor pushed off gently with his left leg and skated shakily across the ice. A broad smile spread across his face. Perhaps he would recover after all. Then everything fell apart. His right leg began to buckle. Burning, throbbing pain shot up his side and his leg gave out before he could call for Yuuko’s help. He collapsed onto the ice right onto his injured leg.

“Viktor!” Yuuko called. She stayed back and waited for Viktor to ask for her assistance.

Viktor flipped onto his back and laid his arm across his face. “Please leave me alone for a while." His voice was barely above a whisper.

“You really shouldn’t lay on the ice. You’ll get cold!”

“Please, just for a little while! Just ten minutes!”

After a moment’s pause Yuuko’s skates scratched against the ice as she skated to the rink’s exit. Viktor managed to hold his sobs back until he heard the door of the rink quietly close. He hadn’t felt that miserable since the day of the NHK Trophy. Hot, burning tears ran down his cheeks, and he gasped for breath. “Damn it!” He screamed, slamming his hand against the ice. “Why must this be taken from me too? It’s all I have! It’s all I have...” His screams of despair turned to whimpers. “It’s one thing to retire, but this? I can never skate again.” Sobbing, Viktor buried his face in his hands. “I can never go on the ice again.” Before long he sat up and looked back towards the door of the rink. After a few more minutes Yuuko hurried back in and skated out to help Viktor leave the rink.

“If you ever want to try again,” Yuuko said quietly once Viktor had pulled off the skates. “The Ice Castle will always be here for you Viktor.” She held out a key to him.

“Thank you,” Viktor said, his voice hollow. He took the key and stared at it with a depressed look. “But I don’t think I will want to try again.” Shame burned through his whole body. He couldn’t believe that Yuuri and Yuuko ever looked up to him. In that moment Viktor vowed to never return to the ice again. There was no point in getting his hopes up. 

Every night Viktor slept snuggled between Makkachin and Vicchan. He idly wondered if he should return to Russia, but felt no hurry. Who would want to see him again? He continued to ignore his unread messages and voicemails, tucking his phone away into a drawer. After all, if it was out of sight it was out of mind. For the time being Viktor just wanted to continue secluding himself from the rest of the world. Though he knew that peace would not last much longer. The World Championships was barely a week away. He knew the inn would be full of people cheering for Yuuri, their hometown hero. Viktor refused to acknowledge the championship's existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE 3/20/17: Fixed minor grammatical issues and phrasing


	2. Recovery

It had been five years since Yuuri returned to Hasetsu. He had gotten so wrapped up in skating and college that he hadn’t found time to visit. Due to that, he could only stare in shock when he saw the posters of himself all over the place. “How embarrassing,” He said, pulling his hat down around his burning red ears. Hurrying along, Yuuri wondered if his parents would meet him. Instead, he was greeted by Minako.

“Yuuri!” She cheered, unveiling a huge poster with his name on it. “Welcome home!”

Cheers erupted from the few people surrounding the station. Shocked by all the attention, Yuuri followed Minako’s instructions and shook everyone’s hands and even signed the few posters they had of him. “You’re on your way to real fame!” One fan said.

“I didn’t even medal at the World Championships, though,” Yuuri said with a timid smile.

“You missed the podium by two points!” Minako exclaimed, outrage evident in her voice. “You were robbed.” Yuuri shrugged. He didn’t want to admit that his nerves nearly ruined the whole event. “There’s a big surprise waiting for you at home,” Minako said.

“It’s not a party is it?” Yuuri asked, face beginning to go pale. To his surprise, Minako’s smile turned a little sad.

“Not at all,” She said. “Recently it’s been the exact opposite.” Confused and worried, Yuuri stared waiting for Minako to explain, but she shook her head. “Come on! Let’s get you home.”

The inn looked exactly the same as when Yuuri left. He looked around, examining the beautiful statues and landscape. “I’m home,” Yuuri announced, pulling off his shoes and replacing them with slippers.

Resounding barks sounded down the hallway and to Yuuri’s surprise two dogs came bounding from the hallway. They both leaped onto him, though the larger poodle succeeded in knocking him down. Happy yips filled the air as both dogs furiously licked Yuuri’s face. He laughed and gently pushed them away before staring at the larger poodle with a puzzled look. The dog looked like a bigger version of Vicchan.

“Yuuri!” Hiroko called, hurrying from the kitchen. “Welcome home!”

Yuuri pushed the dogs aside and got up to give his mom a hug. “I’ve missed you.” She pulled back and grinned widely. “Congratulations on all your success!”

“You’ve made us proud!” Toshiya called from the kitchen.

“I did my best,” Yuuri said with a slight bow. Then his eyes caught the dog again. “Um, who’s this?”

“You don’t recognize him?” Minako teased as she headed into the inn.

Yuuri’s heart stopped. It couldn’t be Makkachin. There was no way. Heart leaping into his throat, Yuuri looked to his mom who smiled. “His owner’s relaxing in the hot springs right now,” She said. Yuuri felt as if he couldn’t breathe. The past five months had been torture as Yuuri wondered every night what happened to Viktor. He rushed out towards the springs, not even bothering to switch slippers. Bursting in, he could only stare in shock at the man lounging at the very back of the springs. Viktor glanced at him briefly, but did not move. His hair almost brushed his shoulders. It looked as though he hadn’t cut it since the NHK Trophy.

“Vi-Viktor?” Yuuri managed to squeak out.

“You must be Yuuri,” Viktor said with a plain, bored expression. “Pleased to meet you.” His voice sounded flat.

Yuuri frowned. Had he done something wrong? Viktor almost seemed annoyed at his presence. “How long have you been here?”

Viktor shrugged. “A half hour,” He said. A hint of a smile flashed across his face as Yuuri laughed.

“No, no, I mean in Hasetsu!”

“Months.”

“Months?” Yuuri’s question came out as a shriek. “And you’ve never told anyone where you were?”

Viktor shrugged and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. “Why should they care?”

A mixture of shock and fury shot through Yuuri. How could Viktor be so nonchalant? Not only had Yuuri worried every day for months about Viktor he had watched Yakov, Yuri, Chris, and countless fans do the same. “That’s-That’s so selfish,” Yuuri sputtered out. “Your coach was worried and the Russian Yuri and Chris most of all!”

“And you,” Viktor said wryly. “ ‘I hope Viktor is doing well and he will recover soon. He’s been my idol since I was young and I-I well I never would have gotten this far if I had never seen him skate. I really hope he’s doing well!’ ” Viktor repeated Yuuri’s words back to him as if they were his own. Immediately, Yuuri’s face flushed a bright red. Viktor looked at him with an unreadable expression. “Your family’s very nice Yuuri,” He said. Yuuri couldn’t believe that their conversation was real. He gasped, unsure of what to say and then simply spun on his heel and rushed back inside.

“This is unbelievable,” Yuuri whispered as he paced back and forth before his mother and sister. “I can’t believe you hid this from me!”

“We wanted to respect Vicchan’s wishes,” Hiroko said with a kind smile. “I assured you he’s fine didn’t I?”

“I wanted to tell you,” Mari said with an easy-going grin. Yuuri stared, searching for the right words. “What? Were you surprised at how depressed he is?”

“I-I guess?” Yuuri squeaked.

"It got so much worse after he fell at the Ice Castle,” Hiroko said with a sad sigh. "He was beginning to cheer up before then."

“What?” Yuuri screeched. “He fell again?!”

“Yuuko thought he might want to try skating,” Mari explained. “But it went pretty bad.” Hiroko nodded in agreement.

Lost for words, Yuuri dropped to the floor and landed on one of the soft pillows before the table. “I don’t even know what to say,” He said, leaning his face in his hands. “I need time to-to process all of this!” Mari and Hiroko exchanged an understanding look.

“Would you like some katsudon to celebrate your victory at nationals?” Hiroko asked. Yuuri could only nod.

After dinner Yuuri headed back to his room to unpack all his belongings. He threw most of his clothes directly into the hamper before fishing out his new medals. His gaze lingered on the silver medal from the Grand Prix Finals. As he picked it up, he heard footsteps in the hallway. “So, you won the championships right?” At the sound of Viktor’s voice Yuuri jumped and whirled around. His idol leaned in the doorway holding a cane in one of his hands. Yuuri stared at him then his eyes turned to the posters covering his walls. He shrieked and rushed about trying to tear them down. Viktor laughed lightly and said, “I’ve already seen them.”

“What?” Yuuri said as he froze with an armful of posters.

Viktor nodded. “Makkachin likes to sleep in here.” He gestured to the bed and then limped over to it, sitting down on it. “Your room is nice.” Even Yuuri could tell that the smile that crossed Viktor’s face was forced. His whole body was tense. “My whole legacy is laid out before me.”

Yuuri set aside his posters. “I didn’t win the championships.” He wondered why Viktor would ever think he could win. Frowning, Viktor stared at him for a long time. “Uh, I didn’t even medal.”

“Oh,” Viktor said, staring at Yuuri with a disappointed look.

"JJ Leroy won, and Otabek Altin got second. Cao Bin placed third,” Yuri added on. “Did you not watch it?” Viktor shook his head. “Well, surely you saw the results online?”

“I haven’t been online in a while,” He said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Again, anger filled Yuuri. “I guess you haven’t checked your phone either then?” He demanded. “Like I said everyone’s worried about you! You probably have hundreds of messages!”

Viktor huffed and stood awkwardly, leaning on his cane. “Don’t scold me,” He said, face growing cold and angry.

“I-I wasn’t,” Yuuri said quickly. Shocked to see Viktor so furious, Yuuri searched for the right words to say. He took a deep breath and said, “Would it be too terrible if you gave some of them a call? Just to let them know you’re alright.” Viktor narrowed his eyes at Yuuri.

“Who cares about me?” He said and left the room without saying another word. Once he left, Yuuri took in a shaky breath and turned to examine the rest of his room. He finished taking down the rest of his posters and shoved them under his bed.

“How dense can he be?” Yuuri muttered. He pulled out his phone to check the time and then opened his messaging app, shooting a guilty look towards the door.

“Here’s my number,” Yuri had said after snatching Yuuri’s phone from him at the World Championships. “You’re cool I guess. Text me sometime.”

Hands shaking, Yuuri created a new text. “I know where Viktor is,” He typed out. “Promise not to tell anyone else.”

The following evening while Yuuri helped his mom put away the dishes from the day his phone began to buzz. When he saw Yuri’s name, he quickly answered. The Russian Punk had never responded after Yuri explained to him that Viktor had been hiding out at his parents’ inn. “Hello?” Yuuri answered, hurrying out of the kitchen.

“Come pick me up,” Yuri said with an annoyed tone.

“Excuse me?” Yuuri asked, startled. “From where?”

“The train station, duh,” Yuri retorted. “There’s so many posters of you here. It’s downright creepy.”

“The train station? In Hasetsu?”

“No, in Tokyo,” Yuri snapped back. “Obviously the train station in Hasetsu! You know what, never mind, I’ll find my way to your stupid family inn by myself.”

“Yuri wait a second!” Right before Yuuri could speak, he heard the click of Yuri hanging up. Lowering his hand, Yuuri clutched his phone against his chest. “Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?” Hiroko asked with a puzzled look.

“I have to go,” Yuuri said as his face grew pale. “Right now!” He rushed out of the kitchen and scrambled to put on his shoes and coat. “Be back soon!” With that said, he flew out the door and slammed it shut behind him.

Yuuri found his Russian counterpart at a market a little way from the airport. He proudly strutted out of a store, sporting a new tiger shirt. With a relieved sigh, Yuuri waved to him. “There you are,” Yuri said, flipping his hair out of his face. “I got lost.”

“Why are you here?” Yuuri asked as he struggled to catch his breath.

“To talk sense into Viktor,” Yuri replied. “Plus, he owes me something.”

“He’s going to be so angry,” Yuuri said, rubbing his forehead in frustration. “You didn’t tell anyone else did you?”

“Of course not,” Yuri said. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” Before Yuuri could respond, Yuri held up a hand. “You know what? Don’t say anything. Clearly, you’re the idiot here. I don’t know why I bothered asking. Now take me to your stupid house so I can yell at Viktor.” Yuri began to walk off it the wrong direction.

“This way,” Yuuri said. With an angry sigh, Yuri whirled around and followed more closely. As they walked, Yuuri felt like he would have a heart attack at any moment. He took in deep shaking breaths and hoped the fallout wouldn’t be too horrible. Then he remembered the furious look on Viktor’s face when he even suggested that Viktor tell people where he was. Anxiety continued to build up in Yuuri until they reached his home. By then, Yuuri felt like he was going to explode.

 

 

 

 

In the evenings the inn fell silent, Viktor lay on his bed, watching Makkachin and Vicchan play with a rope he found for them. Makkachin drug the smaller poodle along the floor, though Vicchan put up quite a struggle. “Why do you keep trying?” Viktor wondered, leaning on one hand. “Is it just because it’s fun?” The dogs continued to wrestle, ignoring Viktor.

Breaking the calm moment, loud footsteps sounded in the hallway, and someone threw open Viktor’s door. “There you are, you asshole!” Yuri Plisetsky stood in the doorway, face twisting into a scowl. “How dare you run off like that! What the hell is wrong with you?” Yuuri slinked into the room as well, nervously hanging close to the wall. “You are coming back to Russia right now!”

“No,” Viktor said. His eyes narrowed on Yuuri. “I guess you told him I was here?” Yuuri stared down at the floor with an ashamed look.

“Yeah he did!” Yuri growled. “As he should have! Look, I’m sure you’re enjoying your pity fest.”

“My recovery,” Viktor snapped back.

“Your recovery?” Yuri laughed. “What recovery old man?” Crossing his arms, he continued, “You dislocated your hip, fractured your femur, and then ran off to Japan to mope about it! Just accept the fact you will never skate again and stop hiding from everyone who cares about you!”

“Yuri!” Rushing forward, Yuuri grabbed the teenager’s shoulder. “Don’t be so harsh.” Yuri ripped away from him.

“Shut up,” He said. “You’re thinking the exact same thing!” Yuri stepped closer to Viktor. “You’ve left everyone behind, and we’re all worried! Not to mention you forgot your promise to me! I won the Junior Grand Prix without any quads! You promised you’d-”

“How am I supposed to choreograph a routine for you if I can’t skate?” Viktor managed to swing his legs around and stood shakily. Yuuri took a step forward, worry flashing across his face.

“Fine, forget that! Just come back to Russia or call Chris and tell him you’re okay! Hell, do a press conference and officially announce your retirement, just do something other than feeling sorry for yourself!” Viktor grabbed Yuri’s face, hand shaking in fury. The teenager just grinned. “Yakov was right. You really only think about yourself! You never spend a single moment thinking of anyone else!” A searing pain spread across Viktor’s body and he felt his right leg trembling. It wouldn’t take long before it gave out. He released Yuri, who backed away quickly. “Selfish old man,” He growled before turning and storming from the room.

The trembling in Viktor’s leg spread through his entire body before he collapsed. “Viktor!” Yuuri immediately rushed to his side and caught him, sinking to the floor with his arms wrapped around him. “Are you okay?”

About to snap out a retort, Viktor looked up at Yuuri. _Of course I'm fine; it's not like my whole career has shattered around me because of this stupid injury!_ Viktor thought, but as he opened his mouth to speak, he lost the words. Yuuri’s concern filled his entire expression. Confused, Yuuri tilted his head to one side. He looked like a lost puppy. “Give me a moment,” Viktor whispered.

“Okay,” Yuuri whispered back, still holding onto Viktor tightly. Pure adoration shone in his eyes. Viktor frowned. How could he feel that way? Viktor was broken and angry, yet Yuuri still looked up to him. He still respected him. How? Viktor leaned his head against Yuuri’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Why?

As his pain slowly returned to a dull ache, Viktor looked back up at Yuuri. “Why?” He said aloud.

Embarrassed, Yuuri quickly looked away. “Because Yuri’s my friend and so is Chris! And everyone is so worried.” Yuuri’s bottom lip trembled slightly.

“Is that all?” Viktor prodded.

“No,” Yuuri said softly. “I cried myself to sleep after you got hurt. The whole world wept. Then you just disappeared on us! It’s no wonder that everyone who knew you felt hurt. I did, at least.”

“So you told Yuri I was here?”

Yuuri nodded, sniffing.

“Did you think he’d knock sense back into me?” Viktor asked.

“Maybe.”

Before he could help it, Viktor laughed causing Yuuri to jump. "That’s so naïve.” He pulled away and grabbed onto the bed to help pull himself up onto it. “Wow! You are so bold.” Yuuri looked puzzled. He sat on the floor before Viktor, looking up at him. Viktor stared back with a small smile. He leaned on one hand, smiling down at Yuuri.

"Are you okay?" Yuuri asked quietly. "Do you need anything?"

Viktor shook his head. “You should check on Yuri and make sure he’s not destroyed your home. He’s an angry cat after all.”

“Um, okay?” Yuuri slowly rose to his feet and left the room, shooting several more concerned looks at Viktor before shutting the door behind him.

Viktor scooched along the bed and grabbed his phone from his deskside drawer. He turned it on and opened up his unread text messages. Falling onto his back, Viktor scrolled through them, feeling deeply regretful. His stomach churned as he read through the worried messages and hopes for his well-being. Then, he opened his voicemail and listened to the messages there. By the time every single one played, Viktor felt like the scum of the earth. "They were right Makkachin," Viktor remarked to the poodle when he leaped up onto the bed. "I am selfish." With a sigh, he sat up and smoothed out his hair before opening the Instagram app. There were dozens of messages there as well. One from a "y-kastuski" caught his eye.

"I know you don't know me," The message read. "But I've always admired you and I wanted to wish you the best. I hope you're doing well."

Viktor's heart ached as he read the message. Composing himself, he took in a shaky breath and clicked on the plus symbol. He smiled and it wasn't forced for the first time in a long time. "I'm sorry," He said once the video started recording.

 

 

 

 

After the exhausting events of the day, Yuri decided to stay the night and book a ticket for the following day. Once everyone settled in, Yuuri snuck off to the Ice Castle. Earlier that day, he got his spare key back from Yuuko and showed her his rendition of "Stay Close to Me." Yuuko declared it a perfect replica of Viktor's routine. Though Yuuri didn't care much about that. He skated out onto the ice, listening to the phantom notes of "Stay Close to Me" in his head. He knew every word at that point. So Yuuri skated the routine, moving through each movement with ease. He skated until the point of collapse and returned home. Yuuri collapsed into his own bed and stared at the ceiling. He still felt the ghost of Viktor's touch from hours ago. He would never forget how vulnerable Viktor seemed when he was in Yuuri's arms. Truthfully, Yuuri expected Viktor to be furious, but in a way, he seemed relieved. Yuuri rolled over to check his phone. He had a message from Phichit.

"Viktor posted a video on Instagram!!!" The message read.

Eyes widening, Yuuri quickly opened the app, scrolling through to find the video. He quickly hit play and sat up straight in his bed. "I'm sorry." Viktor sat in the other room, though nothing in the background of the video would have helped anyone besides Yuuri identify his location. "I've been selfish." Viktor's smile was genuine, but sad. "After the NHK Trophy, I didn't want to face the truth." He sighed and took in a deep breath. "My injury is not something I will ever recover from, so I'm retiring. In the meantime, I want time to just process this all, but please don't worry about me." Yuuri's hands shook as he watched the video. "I found a place that I think will really help me. I hope to see you all again soon." The screen went to black and Yuuri found himself staring at his own reflection with tears in his eyes.

"Wow this is amazing!" Yuri exclaimed at breakfast the following morning as he wolfed down his food.

"We should think of a nickname for you. It'll be confusing having two Yuuris," Mari remarked. "How about-" Before she could finish, Makkachin barked and came running out into the room, closely followed by Vicchan. Viktor followed behind. He held his head high but still limped on his cane. Yuuri exchanged an uncertain glance with his Russian counterpart.

"Hurry up and finish eating slowpokes," Viktor said. "We're going to the Ice Castle."

"What?" Yuuri said at the same time that Yuri demanded, "Why?"

"Because I have programs for you two to learn," Viktor replied simply. "One for Yuuri," He pointed to Yuuri and then pointed to Yuri, "And one for Yuri!" Frowning, Viktor tapped a finger on his chin. "That will get confusing really fast."

"We could call this one Yurio," Mari suggested and playfully poked Yuri in the side.

"What? That's stupid! Give him the nickname!"

Viktor nodded in agreement. "Yurio it is then. Hurry up." With that said, he limped away with Makkachin and Vicchan right on his heels.

Yuuri and Yuri exchanged confused looks. "What the hell?" Yuri asked and Yuuri shook his head. He had no idea what caused the change in Viktor's mood.

When the three of them arrived at the Ice Castle, it was deserted. Viktor called ahead to ensure only the three of them would be there, though Yuuko accompanied them as well. She kept shooting Viktor worried looks but didn't say anything. Like Yuri expected, Viktor didn't put on any skates. Instead, he leaned over the edge next to a speaker system while the two younger skaters glided out onto the ice. "There was a song I was looking at for next season," Viktor said, grief apparent in his voice. "I can't use it now for obvious reasons." Yuuri shared an uncomfortable look with Yuri. "But there are two compositions for it. Listen, okay?" Viktor hit play on the speaker, and a gentle, soothing song rang out through the empty rink. "This is In Regards to Love: Agape. It's about unconditional love."

The song made Yuuri's heart tremble. He listened along to the music with a small smile. It was beautiful, and he wasn't sure he could do the performance justice. Yuuri could be elegant as needed, but the song required a level of elegance Yuuri had only ever seen Viktor achieve. When he looked to Viktor, their gazes met. Viktor's stare made Yuuri's face burn. Was he still mad about the previous night? Yuri tapped his foot on ice and rolled his eyes. "What's the other one?"

"In Regards to Love: Eros," Viktor replied before playing the second song. The song that played was much faster. It screamed passion and excitement, which Yuuri doubted he could skate very well at all either. He felt like he could master some step sequences for it, but the song demanded jump after jump. Yuuri fidgeted as he listened. He couldn't see himself skating to either composition. They were masterful songs that Viktor clearly handpicked for himself. Though Yuuri had felt the same way about some of the songs he had skated to in the past. Celestino always told him he just had to have faith and then he would perform well enough.

"Want to listen to them again?" Viktor asked with a smile. When neither of the skaters responded, he said, "Good! Yurio you'll skate to Eros!" He pointed to Yuri and turned his gaze to Yuuri. His eyes softened a bit. "Yuuri, you'll skate to Agape."

"Sounds good to me," Yuri said with a grin. "I want to go first."

Tension filled the air as Yuri attempted to learn the choreography for Eros. Viktor's face twisted into frustrated scowls each time Yuri failed to perform a turn exactly the way Viktor imagined it or if Yuri spread his arms out too far or too little. "No, not like that," Viktor said again and again as the exasperation in his voice grew. "That's not how it's supposed to be. Your movements need to be sharper Yurio!"

Yuuri quietly watched the growing disaster from the sidelines. He knew that Yuri would never skate Eros exactly as Viktor imagined it because Viktor couldn't show him the precise arm placements or spins. Viktor tapped his fingers against the Eros binder, beating out an anxious, uneven rhythm. Hesitating, Yuuri stepped closer and reached out, just barely touching Viktor's fingertips. Immediately, Viktor's gaze snapped to him. "Um," Yuuri began nervously. "I know that Yurio's not doing it exactly like you imagined, but does it have to be perfect? It looks really good to me."

To Yuuri's surprise, Viktor's face softened. He looked back out at the rink, watching Yuri as he glided across the ice, dancing through step sequences and attempting to hold his arms just right. "You're right," He admitted. "Yurio! You've got the movements down correctly, but now you've got to feel Eros okay? Think of selfish love! You should be good at that!" Yuri scoffed at Viktor as he skated over.

"You're one to talk old man," Yuri growled.

It was Yuuri's turn. Before he could pull his hand away, Viktor squeezed it gently. "Think of Agape Yuuri. What does unconditional love mean to you?" Yuri's heart pounded in his chest as Viktor shot a glance in his direction.

When it was finally Yuuri's turn, he felt unsure whether or not Viktor drilled him harder. "Do it again!" Viktor repeated over and over again. "What is Agape to you Yuuri?"

 _Agape?_ Yuuri wondered as he threw himself into spin after spin, jump after jump. He wasn't sure. Wondering if Yuri understood Eros better than he understood Agape, Yuuri poured himself into the routine. He thought of his friends, his family, and everyone that supported him. They all loved him regardless of how he performed, right? That was their unconditional love. Though Yuuri had never failed too terribly. As he came out of one of the more challenging spins, Yuuri caught sight of Viktor. _What is Agape?_ Yuuri thought. _Ah, I know what it is, but I just can't catch a hold of it._ He tried his best to skate the program to perfection regardless, but Viktor still seemed frustrated. The day ended with the two younger skaters absolutely exhausted. They sat together on the benches, panting heavily.

"I expect you both to keep working hard," Viktor said. "We'll do some more over the next few days. In the meantime, I asked Yakov to send some of my old costumes if you're interested. They'll be here soon." With that said, Viktor limped out. Though he had not stepped onto the ice, Yuuri noticed a look of exhaustion present on his face as well.

The next few days consisted of constant performance after performance of Agape and Eros. Viktor would correct their arm movements and specify where he wanted each spin. By the end of the second day, he finally seemed satisfied. "Do we finally get to pick out our costumes now?" Yuri asked, stifling a yawn.

"Sure, they arrived this morning."

Boxes of costumes cluttered Viktor's room. Yuuri couldn't help but shriek as he fished through time, citing exactly when Viktor wore each one. Yuri stared at his counterpart with a disgusted look. "It's creepy that you know all of that." He fished through the costumes for a while before picking out one. "This looks good." The costume consisted of a black v-neck top that had swirling golden designs that spread up the left sleeve to the on the upper left half. The spirals moved across the shirt until they intersected with red ruffles that spread diagonally across the front, leaving the right sleeve a pure black and a few golden spirals on the lower right of the shirt. The pants had similar golden designs running down the outside edges. On the right hand side of the pants, more red ruffles spread down to the knee, accompanying the golden swirls.

"I'll take this one," Yuuri said, cradling a costume that had a fishnet left shoulder and blue scale like designs spreading across the rest of the top. It had simple plain black pants to accompany it. "You still had long hair when you were this one. You wore it when you won gold at the European Championships!" Viktor nodded as a nostalgic smile crossed his face.

"I'm sure it'll look good on you."

The following day Yuri planned to fly back to Russia. After days of training, both of the Yuris settled into the hot springs to relax. Once glancing around to make sure Viktor wasn't hiding somewhere, Yuri turned to speak with Yuuri, "You better take care of Viktor. I doubt he's coming back to Russia anytime soon, so you're responsible for him now!" Yuri jabbed his finger into Yuuri's chest. "And perfect your Agape! I'll use my Eros to beat you in the Grand Prix series, got it?"

Smiling, Yuuri nodded. "Do your best Yuri and I'll do mine." After a moment, he quickly added, "And tell everyone else not to worry too much about Viktor."

Before they could say anything else, Viktor limped into the hotsprings. "Yurio! You're trying the hot springs after all! It's really nice. I'm sure it will help soothe your aching muscles."

"It better," Yuri growled. "I have a fourteen-hour flight tomorrow and I don't want to be miserable the whole damn time."

Yuuri said nothing as leaned back and stared up at the stars. After what felt like ages, Yuri headed to bed and most of the other patrons disappeared to their rooms as well. Only Viktor and Yuri were left in the warm water. "Why didn't you win the World Championships?" Viktor said suddenly. His tone was urgent.

Yuuri glanced over at him, blushing a bit. "Uh, I messed up in the short program and fell behind," He said with a small shrug. Swishing the water around a bit, he continued, "Truthfully, I don't even understand why you think I could have won."

"I've watched you skate and I'm not blind," Viktor replied with a curt tone. Yuuri winced. He was sure that the more aggressive side of Viktor was brought out by his injury. "Don't you want to win?"

A crazy idea came to Yuuri as he stared across the water at Viktor. "Yes," He said.

"Then what's holding you back?"

The question surprised Yuuri. At first, the answer was obvious. Yuuri wasn't good enough to win, though Viktor seemed to disagree. He expected Yuuri to win, so obviously Yuuri had the skills necessary. Another idea lurked at the back of his mind. Perhaps Yuuri just thought he wasn't good enough to win. He didn't lack skill; he lacked confidence. Clenching his hands, Yuuri decided that he had to start working up confidence somewhere. Gulping, Yuuri shuffled over to Viktor, sliding to sit only a foot or so away from him. He stared at him with hopeful eyes. "Be my coach Viktor!" He stuttered out. "You're already here, and I haven't accepted any offers since I left Detroit, so I think-"

"No."

Yuuri flinched back. "Oh," He said, heart dropping in his chest. It suddenly felt very hard to breathe. Viktor stared back at him with an unreadable gaze. "Oh, I-I understand." Yuuri stared down at the water. His reflection stared back with a pitiful expression. Ripples destroyed the peaceful calm as Viktor stood, bracing himself on the rocks. Yuuri raised his eyes, spotting the long scar that stretched down Viktor's hip. Still fairly fresh, the line shone a bright, angry red.

"Goodnight Yuuri."

 

 

 

 

That night Viktor couldn't sleep. His hip throbbed and his head ached. He laid staring at the ceiling with a tight feeling in his chest. All he could think of was how quickly he dashed the light in Yuuri's eyes when he refused to be his coach. Why did Yuuri ask in the first place? Viktor was of no use to him. He couldn't even get out onto the ice. How could he critique Yuuri without seeing his technique up close? How could he help him polish the choreography for Agape without showing him what he had in mind? How could he help him choreograph another routine? Frustrated, Viktor pulled his pillow onto his face. Yuuri deserved a better coach than him. He needed someone who could actually help him win. Rolling over again, Viktor accidently laid on Makkachin's tail. The poodle yipped and leapt off the bed, rushing away. "Makkachin come back! I'm sorry!" His beloved dog disappeared into the hallway, ignoring Viktor's pleas. "Makkachin," He whined again before getting up. With one hand on the wall, Viktor limped out into the hallway. He noticed light coming out from Yuuri's door, which was cracked open a tiny bit.

"Hello Makkachin," Yuuri's voice drifted out as Viktor limped over. "Did you want to come sleep with Vicchan?" Yuuri laughed. "Go ahead."

"Wow, so you weren't lying!" Another voice exclaimed. Viktor frowned. Who was in Yuuri's room so late at night? He limped a bit closer and peeked in, seeing that Yuuri sat before his computer. The voice came from the video chat open on Yuuri's laptop. "You're so lucky!"

"Mhm," Yuuri said. "I guess." He sounded mournful.

"Yuuri, what's wrong?" The man in the video asked. He looked vaguely familiar.

"I don't know Phichit," Yuuri said quietly. "I did something really stupid." He took in a deep breath and said, "I asked him to be my coach."

"And?" Phichit's eyes lit up.

"He flat out refused," Yuuri said.

"Well, don't lose hope Yuuri!" Phichit said with a smile. "You'll find another coach!"

Leaning back in his chair, Yuuri shrugged. "Am I that awful of a figure skater?" He wondered.

"Don't be stupid," Phichit laughed. "You got silver at the Grand Prix Finals! Not to mention you won the Japanese Nationals and you placed 4th at the Four Continents!"

"I barely even know him!" Yuuri said, burying his hands in his face. "That was so stupid of me!"

"Yuuri-"

"And how can I so selfishly expect him to return to the figure skating world right after he said he wanted to retire!"

"Technically, you didn't really ask-"

"I'm the worst!" Tears gathered at the corners of Yuuri's eyes and he buried his face in his hands. "I didn't think of his feelings at all!"

Viktor bit his lip. That wasn't it. He reached up to push open the door to Yuuri's room but hesitated. It was rude to eavesdrop. He stepped away and turned, limping back to his room. Laying down again, Viktor closed his eyes and took in a deep, trembling breath. If Yuuri wanted him that badly, he would try his best to help. He just hoped that Yuuri wouldn't regret it in the end. Therefore, Viktor forced himself out of bed the next morning. He took a quick shower, pointedly ignoring the scar that stretched across his skin and then limped to Yuuri's room.

Throwing open the door, Viktor declared, "Yuuri! It's time to get up! You'll never win the Grand Prix Finals if you sleep in!"

Confused, Yuuri lifted his head and blinked sleepily at Viktor. "What?"

"I changed my mind," Viktor said with a smile. He extended a hand to Yuuri. "Get up. From today on, I'll be your coach, so you better do your best." They had a month until the Grand Prix events and assignments were announced. Then, their remaining training time depended on what events Yuuri was assigned to. Regardless, they had limited time, and Yuuri didn't even have a free skate program yet. "You have to run three laps around the beach; then we'll start practicing on the ice." With that said, Viktor disappeared from Yuuri's room.

 

 

 

 

Yuuri's skating ability amazed Viktor. He moved so elegantly across the ice, soaring into spins and step sequences with ease. When he successfully landed his jumps, they were perfect. Viktor leaned on the wall of the ice rink, watching Yuuri skate the "Agape" routine. "Yuuri," He called out. "What song are you going to use for your free skate?" His voice broke Yuuri out of his concentration and Yuuri promptly flubbed his quad. "Oh, sorry!"

"It's fine," Yuuri said as he scrambled back up to his feet. He skated over and leaned on the wall about a foot from Viktor. "I actually had a song composed for me a while back. I recently emailed the composer again after the Grand Prix Finals and she fixed it up for me." Yuuri fished his phone out of his pocket and played the song. He glanced back and forth between his phone and Viktor until the song finished.

Viktor nodded. "We can work with that," He said. "But I'm tired, let's go home." Yuuri's face turned slightly pink. "What?"

"Nothing," Yuuri said quickly as he skated to the rink's exit. He fumbled with his skate guards as Viktor walked over. He reached out and gently braced Yuuri's shoulder, causing his eyes to shoot up and stare. A smile crept onto Viktor's face. Yuuri stared at him like nothing else mattered. His eyes filled with admiration and love.

"Let's do something together," Viktor said, taking a step closer to Yuuri. It still wasn't close enough. "Take me out to eat or show me someplace fun." He took another step closer, sliding his hand up to cradle Yuuri's face. "I want to go out." Yuuri nodded, staring back at Viktor with wide eyes. Their faces were inches apart.

"There's one place that's really neat," Yuuri said quietly. "But there's a lot of stairs."

"Don't worry about me," Viktor said, grinning.

Giddiness filled Viktor as he stared up at the structure before him. "It's a ninja house!" He exclaimed, tugging on Yuuri's arm. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe you didn't tell me there's a ninja house in Hasetsu!"

"This is Hasetsu Castle," Yuuri explained. "We can go look at the artifacts-"

"Are there ninja swords?" Viktor asked and then before Yuuri could respond quickly said, "Yuuri! Take a picture of us together!"

"Wh-What?"

Viktor shoved his phone into Yuuri's hands and dragged him over to pose with the castle behind them. Yuuri awkwardly fumbled with the phone and pulled up the camera. "Say ninja house!"

Yuuri laughed and a genuine smile spread across his cheeks. "Ninja house!"

The walk up the stairs was slow and agonizing. Each step sent pain shooting up Viktor's leg, but he refused to give up. Yuuri walked by his side patiently. Viktor looped one arm around Yuuri's, and then Yuuri braced his arm with his other hand. At the top, Viktor turned and stared out across Hasetsu. "Wow," He said, breathing heavily. "How beautiful."

"Want to go see the inside of the museum?" Yuuri asked. To which Viktor responded, "Absolutely!"

It was the most fun Viktor had in forever. He hummed happily as he scrolled through pictures from Hasetsu Castle. His hand froze over the picture of him and Yuuri together. He looked up, watching as Yuuri helped his parents deliver dinner to the inn's patrons. _It's time to stop hiding._ He thought as he opened the Instagram app. He posted the picture with a caption that read. "On my way to recovery. #Ninjas #FutureChampion." He set his phone aside and watched Yuuri as he rushed about the inn. For twenty years Viktor ignored life and love. His injury made him painfully aware of that. Though, by a stroke of luck, he suddenly found a place where he belonged.

"You look deep in thought." Yuuri sat down before Viktor, grinning widely. He brought a bowl of katsudon along with some rice. Instead of putting the katsudon before himself he pushed it over to Viktor's side of the table.

"Isn't katsudon your favorite food?" Viktor asked as Yuuri ate the rice.

Yuuri blushed and tugged at his shirt. "Yes, but I gain weight easily. I promised myself that I would only eat it if I win."

"That's so cute, you're like a little piggy!" Viktor laughed.

Yuuri's light blush turned a dark red. "What?" Before Viktor could respond, Yuuri's phone buzzed. He pulled it out and his eyes widened in surprise. "So, it's official then."

"Yeah," Viktor said as he leaned his head on one hand. "The whole world knows I'm yours." Even though Viktor said those words his hands still shook when he and Yuuri filled out the official paperwork for the Grand Prix series. Yuuri watched him with a concerned look but didn't say anything.

 

 

 

 

The Grand Prix series assignments were announced the following week. The Katsuki family threw a huge party to celebrate. When Yuuko arrived, she brought her husband and triplets with her. "Wow, it's really you!" One of the girls said as the trio raced up to Viktor.

"You're really Yuuri's coach?"

"Can I see your scar?"

"Let's take a picture together!"

Overwhelmed, Viktor just stared. "Girls!" Yuuko scolded, chasing the trio away from Viktor. "I'm really sorry Viktor. They're huge fans." She laughed awkwardly and hurried to introduce her husband.

The twins turned to Yuuri with their questions. "You're going to win this year right?"

"What are your programs? Can we watch them?"

"You're keeping everything so secret!"

Laughing, Yuuri shook his head. "Maybe you can watch my routines tomorrow. I just wanted them to be good before anyone saw them." The triplets' eyes lit up in excitement.

Viktor smiled. Good was an understatement. Yuuri's routines were near perfect despite Viktor's lack of helpful advice. He glanced down at his right leg. Since he stopped moping and started going through his physical therapy exercises again, it felt a lot better. He wondered if it was time to try to go out onto the ice again. He felt panicked at the idea but decided he needed to try. His coaching skills could only go so far with him on the sidelines.

"The announcements!" Minako yelled. "Everyone be quiet!"

The six events of the Grand Prix series were Skate America, Skate Canada, the Cup of China, the NHK Trophy, the Trophee de France, and the Rostelecom Cup in that order. Yuuri was assigned to the Cup of China and the Rostelecom Cup, to which Viktor breathed a sigh of relief. Going back to the NHK Trophy would have been horrible. He never wanted to return to that event again if possible.

"Looks like Yurio will be facing you in the Rostelecom Cup," Mari said. With a wide grin, she poked Yuuri in the side. "Good luck."

"Good luck Yuuri," The crowd echoed. Yuuri's smile widened and he nodded. Viktor leaned against him, leaning his head on Yuuri's shoulder.

"You don't need luck," He said softly. "You have skill."

Yuuri laughed, glancing over at Viktor with a gentle look. "I have you."

Before Viktor and Yuuri went to the rink the following day, Viktor dug his skates out of the boxes of belongings he asked Yuri to send to him. He stared at them for a long time before stuffing them in his bag. "Viktor?" Yuuri called from down the hall. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Viktor said, hoping the anxiety in his voice was not obvious to Yuuri.

The triplets cheered as Yuuri skated, methodically going over his two routines over and over again. Eventually, they got bored and wandered off. That was when Viktor limped over to the bench and hurried to put his skates on. "Viktor?" Yuuri skated over to the nearest rink entrance. "What are you doing?" Viktor stood, albeit shakily. His right leg tremored as he walked over to the ice and began to take off the blade guards.

"I want to be on the ice with you," Viktor said. His hands shook as he fumbled with the guards. "My coaching won't get any better if I'm always on the sidelines." As he stepped onto the ice, Yuuri immediately grabbed both of his hands. They shared a knowing look. Viktor had no doubt in his mind that Yuuko told Yuuri about his disastrous fall at Ice Castle. Kicking off, Yuuri skated backward, holding on tight to Viktor's hands. Once he seemed a bit more stable, Yuuri released one and turned, so they skated side by side.

Yuuri's hand was warm and soft. He held on tight to Viktor and watched him carefully, waiting to see if Viktor wanted to get off the ice. Then, when Viktor tried to tug his hand away, Yuuri firmly said, "No."

"I want to try to skate on my own," Viktor said. His tone was curter than he meant it to be.

"You need to build up strength," Yuuri said, shaking his head. "Let me help you."

Frustrated, Viktor tried harder to jerk his hand away, and the pair of them slid to a stop. Viktor's right leg trembled and began to give out, but Yuuri caught Viktor's arm and pulled him into a close embrace. "Yuuri," Viktor said, breathing heavily. "I can do it."

"I'm here for you Viktor," Yuuri snapped back, frustration apparent in his voice. "You have me now! Don't try to do this on your own okay?" There was a fire in Yuuri's eyes as he stared up at Viktor with a loving look. Viktor let his hand fall limp in Yuuri's grip, and he leaned forward, resting his forehead against Yuuri's. Taking in a deep and trembling breath, Viktor nodded. "We should go home."

"Yeah, we should."

Before Yuuri could move to skate off the ice, Viktor shifted. He pulled his hand from Yuuri's and wrapped it around his waist, pulling him into a hug. Yuuri immediately wrapped his arms around Viktor and nestled his face into the crook of his neck. Viktor closed his eyes and let his breathing slow, catching his breath again. It became a moment that Viktor never wanted to end. He wanted to hold Yuuri close like that until the Ice Castle crumbled around them. It was a feeling he had never experienced before. Never in his life had Viktor ever wanted to so desperately hold onto someone like he did with Yuuri. It was clear that Yuuri felt the same. After all, he declared his theme for the season was "love" and he mentioned Viktor directly. Yuuri shifted slightly, moving his hand up to Viktor's head. He ran a hand through his hair, which had just began to touch Viktor's shoulders.

"It's gotten so long," Yuuri said, breaking the silence.

"I thought I'd grow it out again," Viktor said. He was no longer the same Viktor after all. It would be like a rebirth.

Yuuri nodded, stroking Viktor's hair gently. "I'd like that."

The pair left the ice in silence, holding hands tightly. Viktor leaned on Yuuri as he put the blade guards back on and then limped over to the benches to change back to his normal shoes. Yuuri followed closely. He looked dazed, as if he wasn't quite sure what was happening. They returned back to the inn, holding hands the entire way. The rest of the night was quiet. They ate dinner together and then retired to the hot springs. Viktor sighed happily as he stared up at the stars. Yuuri sat beside him, dutifully following his gaze.

"There are three months left until the Cup of China," Yuuri said quietly.

"Yeah," Viktor replied, glancing over at him.

"We should relax a bit before then and not overwork ourselves," Yuuri continued.

"Okay."

Nervous, Yuuri glanced over at Viktor. "Maybe we can take three days off each week instead of two?"

"Yuuri, are you being lazy?"

Blushing a bit, Yuuri shook his head. "No, I-I just uh." He sighed and then leaned his head against Viktor's shoulder. "I want to spend more time with you."

Viktor was about to brush off the comment and tell Yuuri they spent more than enough time together, but then he realized the meaning behind it. "Oh, of course." Viktor's heart warmed at the thought of them going out on more dates. "Whatever you want Yuuri."

 

 

 

 

It felt as though electricity was shooting in and out of Yuuri's body. He laid in bed, grinning from ear to ear as he thought back on the day. _I can't believe this is really happening._ He thought, covering up his face with his hands. It was like a dream come true. He glanced over at his door. Viktor's room was steps away from his. He got to train with him and be with him every day. They ate lunch together and they talked and it was more than Yuuri had ever imagined.

The buzz of Yuuri's cell phone snapped him out of his thoughts. He rolled over and unlocked the phone, squinting at it.

 

 **Yurio:**  i told you to take care of him, not make him fall in love with you

 **Me:** He's not in love with me.

 **Yurio:** https://www.instagram.com/p/YV4lvS8hrZ3/?taken-by=sukeota3sisters

 

Confused, Yuuri tilted his head slightly and opened the link. The image showed Yuuri and Viktor standing together out on the rink of the Ice Castle. Viktor had his arms tight around Yuuri's waist while Yuuri had one hand on Viktor's back and the other intertwined in his hair. Their eyes were locked on one another.

 

 **Yurio:** wth is this then?

 **Me:** I was helping him skate again!

 **Me:** He's not in love with me.

 **Yurio** : bs! why do you think he assigned you agape? bleh.

 

Yuuri groaned, and before he could continue texting Yuri, Phichit decided to text him.

 

 **Phichit:** OMG!!! Congrats on your relationship!

 **Me:** No! It's not like that.

 **Phichit:** Don't be shy Yuuri! You two look so happy!!!  <3

 

Trembling from a mixture of apprehension and excitement, Yuuri opened the picture again. It had already been liked and shared thousands of times. Yuuri squinted at the picture and spotted one familiar name when he clicked on the likes. v-nikiforov. Yuuri's face turned even redder. His phone buzzed as he received another text.

 

 **Yuuko:** I'm so sorry Yuuri! I'll tell them to take it down!

 **Me:** Thanks.

 **Me:** Actually, it's fine. I don't mind. Tell them to leave it up.

 

Yuuri's heart thudded in his chest and before long he grabbed his phone again to pull up the picture. He saved it to his phone. Two final texts came through.

 

 **Yurio:** listen katsudon. just don't advertise your stupid love for all the world to see! focus on your skating so I don't crush you too badly at the rostelecom cup!

 

 **Phichit:** Keep me updated on your love! Can't wait to see you lovebirds at the Cup of China!  <3 <3 <3

 

Yuuri sighed and set his phone aside. He rolled over, and Vicchan crawled up from the foot of his bed, whining. Yuuri laughed and gently scratched the dog's ears. "At least you and Makkachin won't tease me," He said quietly, wrapping an arm around the small poodle. "Goodnight Vicchan."

 

 

 

 

The incident happened about a month and a half later. It became commonplace for Yuuri and Viktor to hold hands and sit close together wherever they went, but they never did more than that. Viktor knew from his teasing that Yuuri never dated anyone else. He didn't want to push him too far. One night after bathing in the hot springs, Viktor struggled with a comb as he tried to untangle his wet hair. It still wasn't that long, but he was unused to dealing with it. It has been almost a decade since he had long hair. Yuuri was walking to his own room when Viktor spotted him. "Yuuri!" He called cheerfully. "Come brush my hair!" Immediately, Yuuri's face lit up bright red. "What?"

"Why?" Yuuri asked. He tightened his yukata around him and stared at the ground. Viktor frowned. Yuuri hadn't been that nervous around him in a long time.

"Because I'm struggling," Viktor whined. "Yuuri, please?" He held out the comb and batted his eyes at Yuuri. "I'm tired from coaching you all day." Tilting his head to one side, Viktor pouted. "Please?" That final plea did it. Yuuri sighed and stepped forward.

When Yuuri walked into the room, he shut the door behind him. Viktor didn't question it. Perhaps he missed some subtle clue. Regardless, Yuuri took the comb from Viktor and sat down on the bed, gesturing for Viktor to sit in front of him. He slowly ran the comb through Viktor's hair and gently brushed out the tangles Viktor created from his fussing. "You have enough to have a ponytail again," Yuuri remarked. He gently pulled Viktor's hair back, running his hands through it. "It would be a little one, though." Yuuri laughed and the sound made Viktor's heart flutter. His hands were warm on Viktor's shoulder and neck. "There, it looks better now."

"Let me return the favor," Viktor said, leaning his head back to look up at Yuuri. Every single hair on his head was perfectly aligned.

"I don't really think-"

Viktor snatched the comb from Yuuri. "Please?" He said, and his begging smile covered his entire face. Yuuri's protests stopped, and he nodded, sliding off the bed to switch places with Viktor.

At first, Viktor just slowly ran the comb through Yuuri's hair. Then, he set aside the comb altogether and started massaging Yuuri's head, rubbing gentle circles from the base of his neck up to his scalp. Yuuri leaned into his touch, closing his eyes. It was apparent any reservations he had about the idea had disappeared. Then, caught up in the moment, Viktor leaned forward and kissed Yuuri's shoulder where his yukata had slid down just enough to expose bare skin. Yuuri gasped in surprise, but when he didn't pull away, Viktor's heart soared. He slowly placed kisses along Yuuri's collarbone and wrapped his arms around Yuuri to pull him closer. He kissed Yuuri's neck and worked his way up, kissing his cheek and his temple before planting one final kiss on the top of Yuuri's head.

As Viktor began to pull away, Yuuri spoke. His voice trembled and was barely above a whisper. "No," He said. "Come back."

"Why?" Viktor teased. "Your hair looks better now. Does it really need more combing?"

"Come back," Yuuri said more softly. He wrapped his arms around Viktor's and squeezed. "I don't want you to leave."

The certainty in Yuuri's voice surprised Viktor. He leaned forward again and kissed Yuuri's neck. "Do you understand your Agape?" Viktor whispered in Yuuri's ear before placing a gentle kiss behind it. Yuuri nodded. Viktor smiled and switched to kiss the other side of Yuuri's neck, working his way up to Yuuri's cheek. He gently pulled his arms away from Yuuri's and turned his face so they were looking at one another. Yuuri looked enraptured. He stared back at Viktor with a tiny, satisfied smile. Viktor's heart pounded in his chest as he stroked Yuuri's cheek. "You're beautiful," He whispered, brushing a stray strand out of Yuuri's face. "Can I tell you a secret Yuuri?"

"What is it?" Yuuri asked, eyes locked on Viktor's.

"Agape was born because of you," He said softly. "That night when I wrote it all down, I thought of you. I imagined you." He laughed softly. "Not because the song was more your style, but because you truly understand unconditional love." Yuuri's eyes widened in surprise. "You've shown me that most of all." Viktor leaned forward, letting his eyes fall shut and just before their lips touched, someone knocked on the door.

Yuuri shot away from Viktor as if the other man had just spontaneously combusted. His face turned a dark scarlet red. "Vicchan?" Hiroko poked her head. She saw Yuuri plastered up against the wall and smiled at her son. "Ah, you're here too Yuuri. I just wanted to let you two know that dinner's ready." She smiled and then walked away, painfully oblivious to what had just occurred between Yuuri and Viktor.

"We should go," Yuuri said, fiddling with his glasses. Viktor smiled and stood. He limped towards the door and held out a hand to Yuuri. As Yuuri walked over, Viktor moved his hand up quickly and pushed Yuuri's glasses up so he could kiss him in-between his eyes. Yuuri squeaked in surprise. Laughing, Viktor gently set Yuuri's glasses back on his nose and started to walk away. Yuuri grabbed his hand, clutching it tightly. He didn't say anything but fell into step at Viktor's side.

In the middle of dinner, Viktor gasped, making Yuuri jump. "I forgot about your exhibition program!" Viktor said, eyes widening. "Oh my god! How did I forget?"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Yuuri waved his hand. "It's fine Viktor," He said. "I already had something in my mind." After a long pause, he added quietly, "If it's okay with you."

Curious, Viktor leaned forward and reached out to rub the back of Yuuri's hand. "What?" He asked softly.

"I wanted to skate your free skate program," Yuuri said quickly. "The one to 'Stay Close to Me.' I already know it and-"

"Sure," Viktor said. "You skate it beautifully."

It took several seconds for Yuuri to process what Viktor just said. "How do you-" He broke off, staring at Viktor with a confused look.

"Remember that night when Yurio yelled at me?" Viktor said cheerfully. "I snuck off to the Ice Castle to write up the routines, but you were already there. I was surprised when I realized you were skating my routine." He took a bite of his katsudon and sucked on the fork with a thoughtful expression before adding, "It was a perfect duplicate, but I've always wondered why you choose that routine in particular?"

Yuuri shrugged, staring down at the table. "It made me feel close to you when I had no idea where you were," He muttered quietly. Before Viktor could ask why, Yuuri quickly recited the first few lyrics, " _Sento una voce che piange lontano. Anche tu sei stato forse abbandonato._ "

Yuuri's Italian was rough but Viktor's heart fluttered anyway. He leaned across the table and grabbed Yuuri's hands in his. "Yuuri!" He exclaimed. "Wow! I don't know what to say." Squeezing Yuuri's hands gently, Viktor thought about the duet version of the song. It would have been perfect for a pair skate or an ice dance. His lip trembled as his smile fell away.

"Viktor?" Yuuri asked, concern in his voice.

"We should practice extra hard tomorrow," Viktor declared. He pulled Yuuri's hands over and gently kissed them. "Okay?" Blushing, Yuuri nodded vigorously.

"One more thing Viktor," He said softly. "I want to add quad flips into my programs."

"Yuuri, you've never landed them in competition," Viktor said with a small frown. His mind inadvertently flashed back to his fall. For a moment, he remembered the pain that erupted when his foot hit the ice, shattering his femur and dislocating his hip. It was his own signature move that ruined him forever.

Yuuri's excitement broke Viktor's train of thought. "But don't you want to see me land them?" As his heart melted at the determination in Yuuri's eyes, Viktor nodded.

"Fine," He said, forcing a smile to his face. "So we need to practice extra, extra hard! Got it?" Yuuri nodded again, determination shining in his eyes.

 

 

 

 

The night before Yuuri and Viktor left for the Cup of China, Viktor couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed, worrying about the next day. It would be the first time he would see Yakov since his surgery. It would be the first time he would see Chris since the NHK Trophy. How would people react to his return? The thought of being surrounded by reporters made Viktor's chest grow tight. He sighed and stared over at the clock next to his bed. It was a little after three. Annoyed at Viktor's constant tossing and turning, Makkachin leapt from the bed and ran away. Viktor sighed and rolled back over, pulling a pillow over his head as he groaned. A few moments later, Viktor heard quiet knocking on his door. "Viktor?" Yuuri asked softly.

"What is it?" Viktor glanced over at him with a distraught look, pulling his head out from under his pillow.

"Well, Makkachin came and jumped into bed with me and Vicchan," Yuuri said with a small smile. "Usually, he only does that when you get up in the mornings or are feeling restless." A moment of silence passed by. "Are you okay?"

Instead of saying anything, Viktor lifted up the covers to his bed. Hesitantly, Yuuri walked over and crawled in next to him. They laid facing one another with at least a foot between them. Yuuri reached out to put his arm around Viktor, but his hand brushed up against Viktor's right hip. It was too dark to see, but Viktor knew exactly where Yuuri's hand stopped.

"Is this why you're worried?" Yuuri asked softly as he traced his hand down the exposed edge of Viktor's scar the peeked out from his underwear.

Viktor didn't reply. Instead he wrapped an arm around Yuuri's waist and pulled him to his chest, burying his face in Yuuri's hair. He had recovered well enough to where he could skate on his own, but still couldn't even do a simple spin. What would he tell his friends when they asked how he was doing? Lost in his own worry, Viktor barely noticed when Yuuri began massaging his hip, right above the scar.

"Don't worry," Yuuri said softly. "Everyone will be happy to see you again." Yuuri gently traced his hand up along Viktor's side before wrapping his arms around his waist and hugging tight. "Will you say something, please?"

"я не могу жить без тебя," Viktor whispered.

"What? I don't understand," Yuuri said, confusion in his voice.

"Goodnight Yuuri." Viktor nuzzled his head into Yuuri's neck and gently kissed him there. "Thank you for being here for me." Yuuri nodded.

"I'll always be here for you," Yuuri said. "Goodnight Viktor."

The bed sagged as two poodles leaped up onto it. Vicchan snuggled up close to Yuuri, while Makkachin laid against Viktor's back. The bed was cramped, and Viktor could hardly move, but with Yuuri wrapped around him and his beloved pet close by, Viktor thought the bed felt like home. He never wanted to leave it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The outfit Yuri picks out is based on this sketch: [ https://blog.sakugabooru.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/yurik2.jpg ](https://blog.sakugabooru.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/yurik2.jpg)  
> UPDATE 3/20/17: Fixed minor grammatical issues and phrasing.


	3. Rebirth

The whole taxi ride to the skating rink, Yuuri watched Viktor play with his hair. He tugged on it, examining a strand before pulling it into a ponytail then immediately letting it down again. Frustrated, he looked over at Yuuri. "Do I look okay?" He asked, shoving his hair out of his face. His silver hair was now shoulder length, and it looked gorgeous to Yuuri. Along with Viktor's suit, Yuuri thought he looked like he belonged in a spy movie rather than at an ice skating rink.

"You look fine," Yuuri said. With a resigned sigh, Viktor sat back and stared out the window. "Viktor, don't be so dramatic. Like I said last night, everyone will be happy to see you again."

"Okay," Viktor sighed. He held out his hand expectantly when the taxi pulled to a stop. Yuuri smiled and took it. "Let's get this over with." Viktor slipped on a pair of sunglasses along with the fakest smile Yuuri had ever seen.

Yuuri did not expect there to be hoards of reporters. The camera flashes blinded him and suddenly made him realize why Viktor had sunglasses. He clung to Viktor's hand tightly, shrinking in on himself. He had never gotten so much attention before. His legs shook, and his steps slowed. Viktor glanced over at him with a confused look. Yuuri lowered his gaze and stared at the ground as he hurried inside, tugging Viktor along with him. Once inside, Yuuri realized he still had to talk to reporters, albeit they were much calmer than the gaggle outside. Viktor pulled off his sunglasses and calmly walked over to the group, pulling Yuuri along with him. He positioned Yuuri before the microphones and stood dutifully at his side, winking at him. Though Viktor seemed far more composed, Yuuri noticed a slight tremble in his hand.

"Katsuki! Congratulations on your silver medal at last year's Grand Prix Finals," One reported said with a grin. "You said your theme this year was love? Right?" Yuuri nodded. "So how much love do you have? Will it inspire you to win the Grand Prix Finals?"

"I certainly hope so," Yuuri said. "I have faith in my programs."

It continued on like that for a while as the reporters asked innocent enough questions. Then, right as Yuuri was about to let his guard down, one reporter asked, "Do you ever plan to return to figure skating Viktor?"

Yuuri flinched and glanced to Viktor who stared back with a forced, cold smile. "No comment," He said. "I think that's enough questions, don't you Yuuri. Let's go get dinner." He tugged on Yuuri's hand and dragged him away.

"Have a good night," Yuuri called to the reporters before turning his gaze to Viktor. His silver hair hid his expression from Yuuri. "Viktor?" When Viktor still didn't say anything, Yuuri turned away and sighed. He fidgeted with the zipper on his jacket, wondering what to say. Before he could think of anything, he heard approaching footsteps.

"Vitya!" Turning his head, Yuuri spotted Yakov Feltsman standing behind them. Viktor spun around. His expression was neutral, though Yakov looked furious. "Come here." Viktor let go of Yuuri's hand and walked over to his former coach, who pulled him into a tight hug. "You stupid, selfish-" Yakov broke off and shook his head. "I was so worried about you Vitya."

"We all were!" Georgi Popovich chimed in, frowning at Viktor.

"Sorry, sorry!" Viktor said, smiling at the pair of them as he took a step back. "But I'm back now, so all is forgiven right?"

"You're just as stupid and selfish as ever; you don't even know how to be a coach!" Yakov snapped back. Yuuri flinched as the harshness of his words. "You could have just retired completely rather than-"

"I don't really feel like a lecture right now," Viktor said with a wry smile. "Even though I've missed your lectures so much, I'm hungry, and I'm sure Yuuri is too! We're going to go get hot pot!"

Yakov let out a frustrated sigh and then squeezed Viktor's shoulder. "Davai," He said. "See you tomorrow." With that said, he stalked away with Georgi close on his heels.

Viktor stared after them until Yuuri walked over to him. He continued to fidget with his zipper. "Where did you want to go again, Yuuri?" Viktor asked. His voice fell flat.

Yuuri's heart dropped. "We don't have to go if you-"

"I want to go. I'm sure it's delicious!" Viktor's smile was forced, but Yuuri didn't want to argue.

"Let's go then."

Yuuri had never seen Viktor look more miserable. He stared down at his food, idly pushing it around with his chopsticks. He hid his expression from Yuuri by conveniently shifting his head, so hair fell all around his face. Yuuri reached out to take his hand, but hesitated and pulled away quickly. What could he even say to comfort Viktor? He stared down at his plate. _I don't know what to do._ Yuuri thought. _What is he thinking? Is he regretting his decision to coach me?_ Yuuri's chest felt tight as he looked over at Viktor again. _I don't want him to be unhappy._

"Yuuri!"

Whirling around, Yuuri spotted Phichit waving at him. "Oh, hey Phichit."

"Can I join you guys? I'm starving." Phichit slid into the booth across from Yuuri. "Oh and I'll invite Ciao Ciao too?" As Yuuri stared back with an uncomfortable look, Phichit gasped. "I'm sorry! Am I interrupting your date?"

"No, not at all! Feel free to join us!" Viktor's fake smile spread across his face as he pushed his hair back. "The more, the merrier!"

Yuuri nodded, echoing his sentiments, "Yeah, let's have fun together. We haven't seen each other in a while after all."

"Awesome! I'll invite Leo and Guang-hong too!" Phichit said, hurriedly texting. He then leaned over the table, beaming at Yuuri. "I'm so excited to see you skate tomorrow! You've been working so hard I bet!" Yuuri nodded. "And we haven't even seen the programs you and Viktor have made yet. Yuri Plisetsky's routine to 'Eros' was amazing so I can't wait to see the accompanying 'Agape.' " Laughing, Phichit playfully nudged Yuuri under the table. "Think you can pull it off?"

"I think so," Yuuri said with a smile. "I can't wait to watch you skate to 'Shall we Skate?' I bet it will be awesome." He glanced over at Viktor, whose fake smile had faded and was currently staring off into the distance. He looked back to Phichit, who had also clued in on Viktor's mood.

"How's Vicchan?" Phichit asked, shifting the topic. "The hamsters all miss you."

"He's great," Yuuri said. "He really likes Makkachin."

Viktor perked up a bit. He pulled out his phone and played a video for Phichit to watch. "Here's them playing together!"

"That's so cute!"

Before long, Celestino, Guang-Hong, and Leo arrived. The small gathering quickly turned into a party as Celestino and Viktor drank. "Yuuri!" Viktor said, clinging onto Yuuri's arm. "Is there a hot spring around? We should go to a hot spring!"

"Vi-Viktor put your clothes back on!"

"But Yuuri!" Viktor whined in a singsong voice. "How will we bathe in the hot spring?"

"Wow, Celestino's wasted!" Phichit exclaimed as he happily took pictures of his coach. Yuuri felt his face grow more and more red the closer Viktor curled to him. Both Leo and Guang-Hong looked unsure if they should even be witnessing such a party.

Embarrassed, Yuuri ended up having to drag a very drunk Viktor back to the hotel. He collapsed onto the bed, laughing from the sheer lunacy of everything. Viktor lay beside him, gently running his hand through Yuuri's hair. "I've never seen you drunk like that before," Yuuri said, smiling to Viktor.

"It's easy when you're depressed," Viktor said, his voice cheerful despite his words.

"Viktor?" Yuuri asked. He rolled over to face Viktor. "What do you mean?"

Viktor ignored him and scrolled through his Instagram, hiding his expression. With a frustrated sigh, Yuuri reached out and brushed Viktor's hair out of his face. His eyes had lost their cheerful glow. "You can see my scar in Phichit's photo."

"What photo?"

Viktor sighed and tossed his phone aside. "It doesn't matter." He rolled over and pressed a kiss to Yuuri's forehead. "You need to get a good night's sleep Yuuri."

Nodding, Yuuri twisted to turn off the lights and pulled the blankets up around him and Viktor. Immediately, Viktor hugged him close. There were a million things Yuuri wanted to ask Viktor, but he decided they could wait. "I'll win for you Viktor," Yuuri whispered. "Watch me closely tomorrow. It's all for you." Viktor nodded but did not say anything.

Due to his success at the previous year's Grand Prix Final, Yuuri skated last. He nervously paced around the waiting area as he waited for his turn. He watched Phichit skate before hurrying downstairs to keep warming up. As he paced, he noticed Viktor speaking to Chris. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but couldn't help but notice how frustrated both men looked. Concerned, Yuuri jogged a bit closer and muted his music.

"Would you have just hidden away forever had Katsuki not convinced you to be his coach?" Chris asked. "We've all missed you Viktor!"

"Why would I want just to come back here and be reminded of everything I lost?" Viktor snapped back at him. "At least there's a point for me being here when I'm with Yuuri."

Viktor's words shocked Yuuri. Shaking, he turned his music back to full blast and shot away from the pair of skaters. Tears threatened to spill over, but he refused to cry. He kept running and tried to focus on his 'Agape' routine, but soon he found himself in an empty locker room. There, he leaned against one of the lockers and slid to the ground. Gasping for breath, Yuuri began to sob. He should have realized that he was nothing but a consolation gift for Viktor. Why did he ever think he was good enough for him? He clenched his hands tight. How could he ever skate to Agape now?

It seemed like ages passed when Yuuri heard footsteps entering the abandoned locker room. "Yuuri? Are you here?" Viktor called. "Oh, Yuuri, where did you run off to?" Yuuri shrunk up against the locker and buried his face in his knees. "There you are! Didn't you hear me calling you?" Viktor grabbed Yuuri's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You skate soon." Yuuri raised his head slowly. "Yuuri? What's wrong?"

"Why did you change your mind?" Yuuri asked, voice trembling.

Viktor scrunched his face in confusion. "What are you talking about?" He sighed in frustration and looked at his watch. "Come on; you're going to be late!"

"You flat out refused to be my coach and then just reconsidered overnight?" Yuuri snapped back angrily. "Why? Why did you do that?"

"Why are you being so difficult?" Viktor asked. "I just changed my mind. Why does it matter?"

"Is it because you realized that coaching is the only thing you can do now?" Yuuri demanded. "That you could never do anything else, so you just resigned yourself to coaching me? Am I just some consolation prize?"

Shock covered Viktor's face, but it quickly changed to fury. "Don't think so lowly of yourself!" Viktor snapped back. "I didn't want to coach you because I didn't want to drag you down with me!" Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. "I can barely coach you in my state! I can't even skate without your support! You won silver at the Grand Prix Final! You missed the podium at the World Championships by a handful of points! What if my failure as a coach prevents you from winning?" He clenched both of his hands and shook his head. "I've never wanted anything more in my life than to be by your side Yuuri! I just didn't want to let myself ruin you too." Running a hand through his hair, Viktor laughed darkly. "I guess I already have."

Shoulder's drooping, Yuuri felt his face burn from embarrassment. Why did he have to doubt himself so much? He shouldn't have just assumed something from listening to a fraction of a conversation. He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes, wiping away the last of his tears.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Viktor whispered. He cradled Yuuri's face. "Do you want me to kiss you?"

"Just stay close to me," Yuuri said, shifting up, so he was on his knees. He wrapped his arms tight around Viktor and buried his face in the other man's shoulder. "I just want to be by your side forever."

Viktor nodded, hugging Yuuri close. "Always," He whispered.

When Yuuri skated out onto the ice, his chest still ached from sobbing. He had no clue how most of the skaters had performed. As the last skater, Yuuri could place anywhere in the rankings. He took in a deep breath and raised his eyes up as he began to move. He could barely see Viktor watching over by the edge of the rink. It was time to show the world his love. Viktor was his, and nothing would ever change that. Yuuri didn't care if the rest of the world thought Viktor only turned to coaching as a last resort. When everyone else gossiped about Viktor, Yuuri stood by his side. He loved him despite everything that had happened. Heart pounding, Yuuri felt a small smile tug at his lips. He would love him for the rest of his life. Yuuri raised an arm and gently spun into his routine. He danced across the ice, becoming as elegant as possible. When he launched himself into his first jump, he couldn't help but land his mind wander back to the conversation in the locker room. He landed the jump awkwardly. Cursing himself, Yuuri cleared his mind and continued his routine. He finished with a near perfect score, easily beating his personal best and scoring above Georgi. As he stared ahead at the score with Viktor, his ears rang. For a moment, he couldn't hear anything. Then, he felt Viktor's arms around him.

"That was so wonderful Yuuri!" Viktor whispered and then their lips were pressed together. Reacting rather than thinking, Yuuri pulled Viktor closer, intertwining his hands in Viktor's hair. Cheers and screams erupted from the crowd. "Thank you," Viktor whispered before completely pulling away. Blinking back, Yuuri managed a small, dazed smile.

That night Yuuri couldn't sleep. He laid staring up at the ceiling as Viktor snored beside him. Somehow he had landed himself in first place, and Viktor had kissed him in front of the entire world. Running his hands through his hair, Yuuri felt his heart pounding in a mixture of excitement and sheer terror. He quietly slipped out of bed, deciding it would be best to go for a walk to clear his head. He wandered around the hallways of the hotel, scrolling through Instagram. He smiled at the various selfies Phichit had taken throughout the day. Unfortunately, due to his breakdown, Yuuri was only in the last one. He swore to hold it together the next day. As Yuuri walked, he came to a shared balcony. Out in the cold stood Chris Giacometti. Frowning, Yuuri pushed open the door and stepped out into the cold air.

Chris glanced over at him and smiled. "Ah, Yuuri, it's nice to see you."

"You're up late," Yuuri said, leaning on the railing next to Chris.

"You are as well," He said, laughing. "Why not be in your warm bed next to your boyfriend?"

Yuuri's face lit up red, and he fiddled with his sleeves. "I'm just nervous for tomorrow."

"Not used to being in first place?" Chris teased. "You nearly won the Grand Prix Final last year." He sighed and leaned on one hand. "While I made a complete fool of myself." For a moment, a jealous look flashed through Chris' eyes. "How is Viktor?"

"Didn't you talk to him earlier today?" Yuuri asked. Chris rolled his eyes, making Yuuri laugh quietly. "Yeah, I suppose he doesn't really communicate his feelings very well."

"I've known rocks that are less dense," Chris said.

Yuuri nodded and turned his eyes to stare up at the sky. No clouds blocked the twinkling stars on that night. "How long have you known Viktor?"

"I first met him when he wore that same outfit you had on today and still had that gorgeous long hair," Chris said with a dreamy sigh. "But he's chopped it all off since then." Chris tapped his fingers across the railing and continued, "Viktor's skating was so wonderful. It seemed unbeatable. I wanted to be the one to win against him some day, but I never quite managed that." He leaned his head down on his hands and continued mournfully, "I thought we were close, but he didn't breathe a word to me until today. Even after he posted that video, he wouldn't respond to my texts!"

After a long silence, Yuuri quietly said, "I think he's afraid everyone only liked him because of his skating."

"That's idiotic," Chris snorted.

"Yeah," Yuuri said with a smile. "When I found out he was staying at my family's inn, I told him to contact everyone to tell them he was okay and he yelled at me."

Chris' eyes lit up in surprise. "No way, he looks at you like you're the sun!"

"He was furious," Yuuri said as he shook his head. "I was so surprised!"

"I've never seen Viktor angry," Chris remarked. "You have must have many secrets about him, huh?"

Yuuri shrugged, humming happily to himself. Then, he took in a deep breath and turned to Chris. "Don't give up on him yet. It will just take a little while longer."

Chris stared back at Yuuri with a fond smile. "Well, thanks for everything you do for him." He ruffled Yuuri's hair and turned to head back inside. Briefly glancing back, he said, "Good luck tomorrow."

"You too."

Feeling light-hearted, Yuuri returned to his hotel room and lay back beside Viktor, curling an arm around his waist. He closed his eyes and swore to himself that he would win the next day.

 

 

 

When it was Yuuri's turn to skate, Viktor noticed he was trembling. He gently laid a hand on his back and rubbed soothing circles into Yuuri's back. "Don't worry," He whispered in Yuuri's ear. "You can do this."

Nodding, Yuuri slid off his skate guards and stepped out onto the ice. Turning back, he took Viktor's hands in his and kissed them. "I'll do my best for you." Smiling, Viktor nodded.

It was clear that Yuuri was nervous. At several points in his routine, his flow seemed more jerky than normal, and his spins began to seem shaky. Viktor watched with a critical eye, calculating Yuuri's score as he went along. It would be very close to Phichit's, and Viktor was not even sure that Yuuri would be able to win gold. Though that didn't matter. Winning silver would still help guarantee Yuuri a spot in the Grand Prix Finals. As Yuuri came to his last jump, Viktor watched with bated breath. The setup looked like a quadruple flip. Viktor clenched his hands and watched. Yuuri launched himself up and spun. There were enough rotations, but as he came down, his landing was off. Yuuri crashed to the ice. "Yuuri!" Viktor shrieked in horror. Memories of his fall flashed through his mind. He remembered the searing pain up his leg. He remembered waking up after surgery and realizing he had lost everything. Viktor couldn't breathe. He chest felt tight. Gasping for air, Viktor grabbed onto the wall of the rink. Yuuri fell, but he spun up to his feet. He finished his routine to applause. Viktor could hardly hear them over the pounding of his own heart.

"Viktor?" Yuuri called as he skated over to the rink's exit.

Without thinking, Viktor pulled Yuuri into a tight hug, kissing the side of his head. "Never do a quadruple flip again," He whispered, desperation in his voice.

"What?" Yuuri asked, shocked.

Before Yuuri could press him further, Viktor grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the kiss and cry. Putting on a fake smile, Viktor watched as the scores came in. Yuuri scored just a few points below Phichit, placing him in second. Chris scored high enough to land third. Viktor wore a fake smile throughout the ceremony, but he desperately wanted to leave. Anxiety still filled him from watching Yuuri's free skate. As soon as Yuuri got his medal and hurried over to Viktor, he said, "Ready to go back? We have to catch our flight early tomorrow."

"Why don't you go congratulate Chris?" Yuuri suggested gently. "Or talk to Yakov. The competition's over so-"

"I want to leave."

Biting his bottom lip, Yuuri nodded. He clutched his silver medal tight and walked with Viktor out of the arena. As soon as they were out of earshot of reporters and other skaters, Yuuri quietly asked, "Why did you tell me to never do a quadruple flip again?"

"Because I want you to never do it again," Viktor said simply. "You fell."

"Barely," Yuuri protested. "I was up fast enough to lose very few points and-"

"I just don't want you to." Viktor didn't mean to snap at Yuuri, but he couldn't help it.

Yuuri stared down at his silver medal with a frustrated look. "The quadruple flip isn't any more dangerous than any other quad, and you know that!"

"Won't you listen to your coach?" Viktor asked, an annoyed smile gracing his face.

"Viktor you're being irrational."

Whirling around, Viktor faced Yuuri and yelled, "Don't do it again! You can win without it." Yuuri fell silent. He bowed his head and stared down at the ground. His shoulders slumped in resignation, causing Viktor's chest to tighten. With a sigh, Viktor ran a hand through his hair and then reached for Yuuri's hand. To his surprise, Yuuri pulled away. They walked in silence to the taxi and then rode in silence to the hotel.

The worst part was that Viktor knew Yuuri was right. He was being completely irrational. Anytime a figure skater stepped out onto the ice they risked injury. Performing a quadruple flip would not put Yuuri at any more risk than any other skater. Even knowing that Viktor couldn't stop his chest from tightening each time he watched Yuuri attempt the quadruple flip. Watching him fall pushed Viktor's anxiety over the edge. He laid on the bed, watching Yuuri as he packed up his clothes, neatly folding them. He wondered if Yuuri hated him because of what he said. "What do you want to work on most in the next three weeks?" Viktor asked, breaking the long silence.

"My jumps probably," Yuuri said softly. His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out. Viktor frowned. Ever since their conversation at the rink, Yuuri had been furiously texting someone. He figured it was Phichit.

"Is there anything fun to do in the meantime?" Viktor asked. "Any fun places to go?"

To Viktor's relief, Yuuri loosened up a bit and smiled. "Well, the leaves are all turning colors. Maybe we can talk a walk in some of the parks around Hasetsu." Yuuri walked over and sat beside Viktor on the bed. "I bet the shopping center will be putting up some of the Christmas lights. We can walk around and shop."

"That sounds amazing Yuuri! We'll have so much fun!" Viktor nodded and then Yuuri's phone buzzed again. Viktor couldn't help but catch sight of the name at the top of the screen. "You're texting Yurio."

"Mhm hm," Yuuri said. "I was telling him about the Cup of China." He leaned back onto the bed, smiling at Viktor. "And he's complaining about losing to JJ at Skate Canada." Viktor nodded. He was sure that Yuuri was also complaining about Viktor's irrational outburst over quadruple flips. With a sigh, Viktor closed his eyes and curled an arm around Yuuri's waist. He felt Yuuri shift as he set his phone aside. "Want to skate together again when we get back?"

"Yeah," Viktor whispered. "Maybe I can skate a bit on my own." He felt Yuuri reach up to stroke his hair. "Though I don't mind skating around in your strong arms."

"Vi-Viktor! That's so embarrassing!"

Laughing, Viktor nuzzled Yuuri's neck and pressed a kiss there. "You're the best thing in my life," Viktor whispered, humming as Yuuri continued to stroke his hair. "I don't know what would have happened to me if I never met you."

"Viktor," Yuuri whispered back, kissing the top of Viktor's head. "I'm so relieved I met you. I couldn't imagine my life without you." Viktor sat up a bit so he could stare down at Yuuri. He gently brushed Yuuri's hair of his face and leaned forward, kissing him gently. "Goodnight Viktor."

"Goodnight Yuuri."

 

 

 

 

 **Yurio** **:** congrats on your silver. get used to winning it.

 **Me:** Congratulations on your silver. You skated really well! Viktor and I watched the livestream.

 **Yurio** **:** stupid fucking jj and his stupid rabid fans. i'll crush him at the rostelecom cup.

 **Yurio** **:** i'll crush u too just for fun

 **Me:** Between the pair of us, I'm sure we can push JJ down to bronze. :)

 **Yurio** **:** oh btw, i told you viktor was in love with you. you two are really gross.

 **Me:** Don't be mean.

 **Yurio** **:** i can't believe he just started making out with you on live tv. what an idiot.

 **Me:** I was surprised too.

 **Yurio** **:** god, i'm shocked he didn't do it again after you nearly landed that quad flip. i figured he'd be proud of u.

 **Me:**.......

 **Yurio** **:** wut?

 **Me:** He told me to never do it again.

 **Yurio** **:** wut??!?!? he's such an asshole. just because someone else can do his "signature move" he gets all huffy about it.

 **Me:** That's not it.

 **Yurio** **:** then why the hell would he say that?

 **Me:** I think it's because I fell.

 **Yurio** **:** barely.

 **Me:** The quad flip was the jump he injured himself on.

 **Yurio** **:** oh. that's why.

 **Me:** He's just worried.

 **Yurio** **:** he's more of an idiot that i thought. any jump could injure you!

 **Me:** That's what I said, but he just got more upset. He said he knew it was irrational.

 **Yurio** **:** do it anyway.

 **Me:** I'm not going to go behind his back like that!

 **Yurio** **:** do it at the rostelecom cup. dont worry, i'll drag your lifeless body off the ice.

 **Me:** Stop making fun of him.

 **Yurio** **:** he deserves it.

 **Me:** I should go. Viktor wants to go to bed. I'll text you later.

 **Yurio** **:** tell him he's stupid for me.

 

 

 

 

Skating in circles helped strengthen Viktor's leg, but he yearned to do more. He watched Yuuri as he practiced his jumps on the other side of the rink. They had only a few days left until the Rostelecom Cup. Yuuri's jumps were all excellent. Viktor sighed and watched with a small, envious smile. His doctors advised him never to do any jumps again. They said he might be able to pull off simple step sequences and spins, though. Even Viktor doubted that he could pull off a two-foot spin. He skated to the side of the rink and watched Yuuri flow through his final practice of "Yuri on Ice" for the day. As Yuuri finished his final spin, he came to a stop with his hand outstretched to Viktor.

"I've noticed something about that routine," Viktor said, tapping his finger against his chin as Yuuri skated over to him.

"What is it? Am I doing something wrong?" Yuuri asked as he put his glasses back on.

"No, it's just you always finish pointing to me," Viktor said.

Turning slightly pink, Yuuri shrugged and skated to the rink's exit. "It must be a coincidence." Viktor laughed and skated after him. "I mean; it would be really hard to time the spin to stop right at you."

"Exactly and what is your specialty?" Viktor said in a sing-song voice as he pulled the hairband out of his hair, letting it fall down in a cascade of silver. When Yuuri didn't reply, Viktor lightly tapped him on the nose. "That's right! Spins and step sequences."

"Maybe it's a planned coincidence," Yuuri admitted quietly. "I mean, my figure skating career story starts and ends with you." He slipped on the skate guards and took Viktor's hand, helping him do the same. "When I first saw you skating, I knew that I wanted to be out on the ice competing like you did." Viktor's smile fell away. "You inspired me. I wanted to be just like you when I was a kid. Even now I want to skate like you. These past months have been a dream come true. You're here with me, coaching me, supporting me and-" As Yuuri glanced back up and saw Viktor's expression, his speech faltered. "Viktor?"

"Did you know there's a duet version of 'Stay Close to Me?' " Viktor asked as he walked over to the benches. His limp had become much less noticeable over the past few months, but he still felt the falter in his step. "I had deluded myself into thinking I might recover well enough to skate it with you, but that will never happen."

"It doesn't have to," Yuuri said, hurrying to follow him.

Tension filled the air once Yuuri fell quiet. As Viktor pulled off his skates, he glanced back to Yuuri who stood by with his hand slightly outstretched. "Why do you still want me?" Viktor wondered aloud. He turned and walked back towards Yuuri, whose face scrunched in confusion. "Why do you want a broken man? Why do you want a failure of a skater? Why do you want a coach who is so paranoid that he forbids you from doing quad flips? Why do you want a lover who often cries himself to sleep at night while you lay beside him peacefully?" Viktor felt tears stream down his face as he placed a hand to his heart. "You could do so much better, so I beg you to tell me. Why do you want me?"

Wide eyed, Yuuri stared back for several moments before taking a step closer to Viktor. He reached out and pushed Viktor's hair out of his face. "You're crying?"

Viktor slapped his hand away. "Don't ignore my question Yuuri!"

Yuuri took Viktor's hand and pulled it to his chest, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Why do you want to coach a skater who has a tendency to self-destruct? Why do you want a lover who wonders every moment if he's good enough for you? Why do you want me?" Even as Yuuri spoke, he smiled. "I've had these same thoughts Viktor. You know that. You saw that at the Cup of China." Yuuri pressed a gentle kiss to the back of Viktor's hand. "Why not talk to me about this earlier?"

"You're still not answering me," Viktor said.

Yuuri reached up, hesitating for a split second before wiping away Viktor's tears and cradling his cheek in his hand. "You already know the reason."

"That's stupid; I wouldn't ask if-"

" 'Agape was born because of you. Not because the song was more your style, but because you truly understand unconditional love. You've shown me that most of all,' " Yuuri said softly, repeating Viktor's words back to him. A few tears gathered at the corners of his eyes as he continued, "I thought you realized the answer a long time ago." Trembling, Yuuri took another step forward. "I-I love you." He leaned forward, kissing Viktor. "I love you! You're not broken! You're not the ruined legend that you think of yourself as!" With a shaky smile, Yuuri continued, "So please don't think so lowly of yourself. That's what you told me right? I promise not to think lowly of myself if you don't either, okay?" Stunned, Viktor stared back with a shocked look. "Um, say something Viktor?"

Deja vu came over Viktor. With a huge grin, he wrapped his arms around Yuuri's waist and pulled him closer. "я не могу жить без тебя," He whispered. Yuuri's face scrunched up in confusion.

"I don't know what-"

"It means I cannot live without you," Viktor said, watching in delight as Yuuri's face turned red. "I love you too Yuuri! I love you so much!" He kissed him again, dipping him slightly in the process. Pressing their foreheads together, Viktor whispered, "I promise. I promise not to be such a mess as long as you do the same." Yuuri nodded and worked his hand up into Viktor's hair, pulling him close to kiss him again and again.

It was no surprise to either of them when a picture of Viktor dipping Yuuri and kissing him showed up on the triplet's Instagram. Once again, it threw the Internet into an uproar over Viktor and Yuuri's relationship. Though as Viktor laid in bed staring at the photograph, he thought of it as a beautiful reminder. Yuuri lay next to him, snoring away. With a fond smile, Viktor slipped out of bed and walked over to the mirror in the corner of his room. He tugged on his waistband, pulling it down just enough to expose his scar. It looked smaller and lighter than he remembered. Running his finger over it, Viktor found himself continuing to smile. While Viktor may have lost something, he gained something far greater in return. It was about time he realized that.

 

 

 

Cheers erupted from the crowds the moment Yuuri and Viktor stepped out of the cab. Laughing and smiling, Viktor waved to them as he walked alongside Yuuri's side. Unlike at the Cup of China, Viktor seemed much more laid back. Yuuri watched as he even chatted with fans and signed posters for them. _See? Everyone still loves you._ Yuuri thought. He was happy to see Viktor so calm and finally at peace with his injury, though it meant he had to keep his end of the bargain too. The hotel was filled to the brim with other skaters, coaches, and even reporters that Yuuri had never seen before. Since the Rostelecom Cup had been chosen as the last event of the series, it would also be the tensest and most reported on. After the Rostelecom Cup, only the top six skaters would advance to the Grand Prix Finals.

"Katsudon!" Yuri shoved through the crowd of people, hurrying over to Yuuri and Viktor. "You two are the last to get here!" Yakov followed behind Yuri. By his side was a woman Yuuri had never met before, but he had seen plenty of at Skate Canada. Lilia Baranovskaya was a prima ballerina and had been brought on to choreograph Yuri's free skate. She looked like a strict woman from what Yuuri had seen of her.

"Yurio!" Viktor said, waving happily. "I can't wait to see how your Eros has progressed!"

"Listen Viktor, I have a bone to pick with you-" Yuri began, stomping towards Viktor. He broke off when cheers erupted throughout the hotel. "Oh god no, not again."

Yuuri turned to see JJ walking through the lobby with a woman by his side. The cheers came from his fans, for which he was signing posters for. "I guess his win at the Grand Prix Finals just increased his popularity?" Yuuri said with a small smile.

Viktor tilted his head a bit, staring over at JJ. "Jean-Jaques Leroy right?" Viktor said with a tense smile. "I think I've heard of him before." Wrapping an arm around Yuuri's shoulders, he continued, "Not that it matters since Yuuri will be winning gold this year."

"Not if you don't let him do quad-"

"We should hurry up to our rooms to get a good night's rest!" Yuuri said, quickly cutting Yuri off. The younger skater shot him an annoyed look. "Let's go!"

"Let me go check you in," Viktor said, pressing a kiss to Yuuri's forehead. "Have fun with Yurio!" Snorting, Yuri rolled his eyes.

Once Viktor was out of earshot, Yuri turned to Yuuri with crossed arms and said, "Is he going to let you do a quad flip then?"

"I haven't brought it up," Yuuri said, laughing awkwardly. The pair of them headed towards the elevators. "I thought we could talk about it at the Grand Prix Finals."

"We need all the fancy tricks we can manage to beat JJ," Yuri said. "So you need to do that quad flip!"

"Yuri, I can probably win without it. I just need to push my quads into the second halves of my programs."

"He has six quads in his free skate Yuuri! Six!" Exasperated, Yuri kicked the wall. "How the hell are we supposed to beat him?" Yuri huffed and leaned against the wall, tapping his foot. "I just want to wipe that stupid grin off of his stupid face!"

"You're not going to do well tomorrow if you let him get to you," Yuuri warned, patting Yuri on the back. "We're going to do just fine."

Despite saying that, Yuuri felt his nerves catching up to him as he skated out onto the ice. The last three skaters had near perfect performances, though their scores were lower than Yuuri's last short program score. _I can do this._ He thought as the gentle music began to play. He slid back and danced across the ice, letting the music flow through him. _I will make it to the Grand Prix finals again._ Yuuri executed his quad toe loop perfectly, spinning across the ice with an elegant takeoff and landing. Cheers filled the arena. _This time I'll take home gold._ He landed every single one of his jumps, only slipping slightly on the quadruple Salchow. As the song slowed and Yuuri finished his last spin, raising his clasped hands above him, he wondered how he would score. With a shy smile, Yuuri turned to the crowd and collected some flowers and a few plushies before exiting the rink.

"That was beautiful Yuuri!" Viktor exclaimed, hugging Yuuri.

Before he could reply, he spotted Yuri heading towards the rink. His hair had been slicked back and pulled into a tight ponytail. Determination shone in Yuri's eyes as he passed by. "Watch and see how much I've improved," He bragged to Viktor and Yuuri. "You won't even recognize Eros anymore."

"I can't wait!" Viktor said, grin wide.

"Show us your best Eros Yurio!"

As the fast paced music began, Yuri shot a cheeky grin to the crowd before dancing across the ice in quick step sequences. He flew through the performance, keeping in time to the music perfectly. Yuuri began to feel a little worried as he watched Yuri perform. Then to his shock, Yuri slipped and fell on one of his quads. "Hang in there Yurio!" He called out after Yuri spun back to his feet. Luckily, Yuri completed the rest of his program without incident.

After he received his score, he walked over to sulk by Yuuri and Viktor. "JJ's going to win again," He muttered, flopping down into the seat beside him.

"There's still the free skate," Yuuri said, shrugging.

With a glare, Yuri flipped up his hood and crossed his arms, sinking down as far as he could into the seat.

"Why do you hate JJ so much anyway?"

Yuri muttered something in Russian that Yuuri didn't understand. He looked to Viktor, who stared back at Yuri with a harsh gaze. "That isn't very polite Yurio," He scolded.

"Shut up old man!"

With a resigned sigh, Yuuri turned to watch JJ's short program. He had to admit it was good, even if the song choice was a bit conceited. There was no question that JJ would make it to the Grand Prix Finals. They would manage to beat him then for sure. JJ finished to a roar of applause. JJ's score beat Yuuri's by only five points.

"See," Yuuri said, smiling at Yuri. "We can catch up in the free skate!" Yuri stared up at the scoreboard with a dissatisfied grunt.

"Even you're beating me." Yuri stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets, marching off towards the rink's exit. Yuuri stared after him with a confused look.

"Why is he so upset?" Yuuri asked, turning to Viktor with a small frown. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Yurio has always been a grouchy kitten," Viktor said lightly. "I wouldn't worry too much Yuuri."

Even though Viktor tried to comfort him Yuuri felt a growing worry in his chest. "I think I'm going to go ask him what's wrong." Yuuri stood and hurried after Yuri, leaving Viktor in the stands behind. He glanced back, and Viktor shot him an encouraging smile.

"Meet you back at the hotel," He called after him. "Don't get killed!"

Strolling up and down the stretching hallways, Yuuri searched. After a while, he came across Yuri standing by an old display case of pictures. Yuuri walked over to stand by him, following his gaze to several portraits of Viktor. "Did you know he's won every single Rostelecom Cup he's ever competed in?" Yuuri asked, jabbing at the glass with one finger. "He was a star as a Junior and an even bigger star as a Senior! He ruled the skating world at sixteen!"

"There's no use comparing yourself to Viktor," Yuuri said quietly. "No one's like Viktor." He stared fondly at the portraits of a smiling Viktor, holding his gold medal up for the world to see.

"It's not even that!" Yuri said, shaking his head. "I won the Junior World Championships three years in a row, and I can't even win a single gold medal now that I'm a Senior? What the hell is wrong with me?" He turned slightly pink as spoke.

"The Rostelecom Cup isn't over yet," Yuuri said.

"Whatever, you've seen JJ skate," Yuri said as a frown crossed his face. "He's like Viktor. I wouldn't be surprised if he breaks one of his world records."

"Well, there's no use in giving up," Yuuri said, smiling. "So, keep your head held high Yurio. You can still do your best." Before the younger skater could protest, Yuuri pulled him into a hug. "We all believe in you!"

Struggling against the hug, Yuri snarled back, "I don't want your stupid hugs!" He pulled away and hurried to straighten his jacket. "Bring your best tomorrow Katsudon," Yuri said as he turned to leave. "If I can't beat JJ then I'll at least beat you!"

Yuuri laughed and waved goodbye to him. "Davai Yuri!"

 

 

 

 

The whole world could see Yuri's scowl as he stood beside JJ with the silver medal around his neck. Yuuri leaned forward a bit, sending his friend a smile, but he was ignored. Yuuri had no idea what he could do to comfort him. He stared down at his bronze medal. _This season is the best I've ever done._ Yuuri thought as his reflection stared back at him. He looked back up towards the cheering crowd and spotted Viktor, who grinned wildly back at him. _I've gotten everything I've ever wanted._

The thought haunted Yuuri over the next several days. He couldn't help but wonder when everything would end. Even as Viktor laid beside him in bed, Yuuri worried when he would go back home. _He must miss Russia and everyone there._ Yuuri thought, staring over at Viktor. He rolled onto his side and reached up, gently running his hand through Viktor's hair. The waves of silver had begun to stretch past Viktor's shoulders. Yuuri smiled. _I'm being selfish. I can't keep him to myself forever._ His hand paused. "Viktor? Are you awake?"

"If I say no will you keep stroking my hair?" Viktor murmured back, opening his eyes and smiling at Yuuri. "If so, then no, I'm fast asleep."

"Do you miss Russia?" Yuuri asked quietly.

Immediately, Viktor's face creased in concern. "Why do you ask that?" He said, shifting so he was leaning on his elbow. Yuuri shrugged. "Sometimes I miss the others. Though beyond that, I don't miss it at all."

"But it's your home, why wouldn't you miss it?"

"This is my home," Viktor replied, pulling Yuuri to him. "That empty apartment in St. Petersberg means nothing to me. Frankly, that city means nothing to me." He kissed Yuuri's forehead and ran a hand through his hair. "I still get to see my former teammates, and Makkachin is always by my side now."

"But-"

"And I have you," Viktor whispered in Yuuri's ear. He kissed the side of his head. "I'd be lost without you."

Yuuri nodded, pulling back slightly to kiss Viktor before stuttering out, " я не могу жить без тебя." Viktor's eyes lit up in excitement. Blushing, Yuuri rubbed the back of his head. "Did I say it right?"

"Oh, Yuuri!" Viktor tackled him, hugging him tightly. "I love you!"

Laughing, Yuuri hugged him back. "I love you too."

In the morning, as Yuuri and Viktor walked into the main dining room of the inn, they were assaulted with party poppers. "Happy birthday Yuuri!" The crowd cheered as confetti fell around Yuuri and Viktor.

"Oh, thank you, everyone," Yuuri said, smiling as he brushed the confetti from his hair.

Viktor whirled on him. "You didn't tell me it was your birthday!" He said, voice bordering on hysteria. "I didn't get you anything!"

"Viktor it's-"

"What kind of boyfriend am I? I don't even know your birthday!"

"Well, we've never celebrated it together before and-"

"Don't hate me for being the worst boyfriend ever Yuuri!" Viktor cried out, clinging to Yuuri's arm. "I'll make it up to you!"

Laughing, Yuuri smoothed Viktor's hair down and out of his face. "It's fine."

Despite his attempts at comfort, Viktor still looked mildly distraught. Throughout the party, he stared at Yuuri with a curious look. Yuuri couldn't help but blush under his intense gaze. _What is it?_ He wondered as they sat together eating cake. All of a sudden, Viktor reached out and grabbed both of Yuuri's hands in his. "Tell me everything about you!" He declared.

"What?" Yuuri asked, squeaking in surprise.

"Everything," Viktor repeated. His tone was firm. "I'll tell you everything about me, and you tell me everything about you. Okay?"

Yuuri stared at him blankly. "Why?"

Frustrated, Viktor sighed and squeezed Yuuri's hands. "How can we be lovers if we don't know the intricate details of one another's lives? I'll go first. My birthday is December 25th."

"Yeah, Christmas Day," Yuuri said, starting to smile. Viktor's hands were warm and comforting in his. "Um, I did ballet before I started figure skating."

With a laugh, Viktor said, "I knew that. Tell me something more!"

"I, uh, I got high marks in school that earned me a scholarship to my college in Detroit!"

"Amazing! I flunked out of school."

"What! No way."

Viktor nodded, laughing a little. "I had to get a private tutor and go back. Yakov insisted."

"My favorite color is blue."

"Mine's gold! Blood type?"

"A, I think?"

They continued like that for hours until Viktor was finally satisfied. As they lay in bed together, he hummed happily to himself while he rubbed Yuuri's back. Feeling drowsy, Yuuri's eyes slowly slid shut. Everything was warm and quiet. It was the best birthday he had ever had. _I'll be sure to make your birthday amazing too._ Yuuri thought as he drifted off to sleep. _Okay, Viktor?_

 

 

 

Barcelona glowed from the minute Yuuri and Viktor stepped off the plane. Viktor had to admit that of all the cities he had ever been to, Barcelona was the most beautiful. "I want to go sight-seeing after practice," Yuuri said, staring at the city with wide eyes. "Okay?"

"We'll go everywhere," Viktor promised, giving Yuuri's hand a gentle squeeze. "But first, let's go check into the hotel." Together the pair of them strolled down the streets of Barcelona, opting to go for a walk rather than ride in a cab. Along the way, Viktor kept his eye out, analyzing the stores with a keen look.

The hotel for the Grand Prix Finals was one of the most beautiful Viktor had ever seen. He hummed happily, staring around at the hotel. People bustled back and forth, chatting to one another as they walked. Beside him, Yuuri froze. He trembled just enough for Viktor to noticed. "Don't be nervous Yuuri," Viktor said.

"What? I'm not nervous." Yuuri forced a smile despite his shaking.

"You'll win everything," Viktor promised, bringing Yuuri's hand to his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss on the back of it and then on the palm.

"Yuuri! Viktor!" Phichit came running across the lobby, waving wildly. "It's so great to see you again!"

As Phichit and Yuuri started to chat, Viktor slipped away to get their room key. On the way over to the desk, he ran into Chris. "There you are, where's your boyfriend? Aren't you two inseparable now?" Chris teased, nudging Viktor lightly with his elbow.

"He's catching up with Phichit," Viktor said. "Though I'm really glad I ran into you. I have to ask you a very serious question." Chris raised an eyebrow, obviously curious. "Is it crazy to propose to someone you've only known for eight months? Does it matter if they saved you from crippling depression and were there for you in your darkest hour? Is that crazy? Am I crazy?"

For a few moments, Chris stared back at Viktor with a small smile. His eyes softened a bit. "I'm glad to be able to give you advice on this Viktor," He said, grasping Viktor's shoulder firmly. "In my opinion, it's not crazy. Especially since it's Yuuri. That man is special."

With a shriek of joy, Viktor leaped forward and hugged Chris tight. "I know right?" Laughing, he stared at his friend with a huge grin which faltered slightly as he said, "I'm so sorry for not-"

"I understand," Chris said with a wave of his hand. "Though you don't have to always be such a big drama king, Viktor. Don't cry when I beat your fiance at the Grand Prix Finals!"

"Quiet! I haven't even bought rings yet!"

When Viktor returned with the room keys, he walked right into Yuri and JJ. "Wipe that smug grin off your face," Yuri snapped at JJ. "Because I'll be the one taking home gold!"

JJ shrugged and waved his hand. "Don't get so worked up kitten. I beat the Japanese Yuuri last year, and I'll be sure to beat you too."

"Excuse me? Yuuri is going to crush you into the dirt! You stupid-"

Viktor grabbed Yuri and held him back before he did something he would regret, though it didn't stop the teenager from continuing to yell at JJ and his fiancé as they walked away. "Calm down Yurio. Don't embarrass Yakov."

"Like you never embarrassed him!" Yuri said with a roll of his eyes.

"Did I? I don't recall," Viktor said as he released Yuri.

"Two years ago. The prince outfit."

Before Viktor could say anything else, Yuuri walked over. With a yawn, he said, "Can we head to bed? I'm tired from the flight."

"You'll need lots of sleep for practice tomorrow," Yuri teased. "I've caught up to you. Watch me win gold Katsudon!"

"I can't wait to see your programs again," Yuuri replied with an easy-going smile.

Nodding, Yuri turned to leave. As he did so, he made eye contact with one of the other skaters. "What are you staring at asshole?"

Viktor sighed and shook his head as he looped his arm around Yuuri's and the pair of them headed towards the elevator. "Not much we can do about him huh?" Yuuri laughed lightly, leaning his head against Viktor's shoulder. "I can't wait for tomorrow Yuuri."

"It's just practice," Yuuri said. Viktor stared back at him with a huge smile. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Both of them strolled together down the stretching hallways. "Well, there's one thing."

"Yeah?"

"I, as your coach, give you permission to do quadruple flips."

Surprised, Yuuri whirled to face Viktor who stared back with a small smile. "Viktor? Are you sure?"

"You can land them just fine; I know you've been practicing them secretly."

"I uh-"

In the glowing light of the hotel, Viktor leaned down to kiss Yuuri. "I'm sure nothing will happen." He gently ran his hand down Yuuri's cheek and caught his hand to press a kiss there as well. "I want to see you wearing gold Yuuri." He pressed a gentle kiss to Yuuri's ring finger on his right hand. "Circlets of gold."

Blushing, Yuuri nodded. "I won't let you down."

 

 

 

It didn't take long for Yuuri to notice Viktor seemed more jittery than normal. He seemed to be itching to finish with practice and go out to explore Barcelona. Once Yuuri stepped off the ice, Viktor rushed to his side, eager to leave. "Don't you want to explore Barcelona?" He asked, tugging gently on Yuuri's arm. "Let's go! Let's go! The evening is wasting away!"

 _Is he trying to ease my nerves?_ Yuuri wondered and let Viktor drag him away. They went sightseeing all over the city and ate a beautiful restaurant. Though the whole time, Viktor seemed to be getting more and more anxious. He kept fidgeting, tapping his fingers on the table while assuring Yuuri that everything was fine. _Did I do something wrong?_ Yuuri worried as he stared down at his empty plate. _Why is Viktor acting like this?_

"One final stop Yuuri!" Suddenly, Viktor leaped up to his feet. "Let's go!"

Together they walked across Barcelona as the sun set in the distance. Viktor strode forward quickly with his silver hair blowing back in the wind. Yuuri hurried to keep up with him. Once it was dark, they reached a beautiful church. Bells rang, filling the air with a soothing rhythm. Whirling around, Viktor released Yuuri's hand. His face flushed red.

"Viktor?"

Without hesitation, Viktor dropped to one knee before Yuuri, who stared back with a confused look. Before he could ask what Viktor was doing, he pulled out a small box from his pocket, flipping it open to reveal two matching golden rings. "For the past twenty years, I've ignored life and love," Viktor said as a huge smile spread across his face. "But you showed me those things again. You loved me even in my darkest hours."

"Vi-Viktor," Yuuri stuttered as his face turned dark red.

"I never want to leave your side again," Viktor continued as he took Yuuri's right hand. "So, you'll marry me right Yuuri?"

"That's so bold," Yuuri stuttered, staring at glimmering gold bands.

"Yuuri, yes or no?"

Tears stung at Yuuri's eyes. "Is that even a question? Of course, I will."

Viktor's eyes shone as he leaped to his feet and gently took out one of the golden bands, sliding it onto Yuuri's finger. Fingers trembling, Yuuri took the matching ring and gently placed it on Viktor's finger. Holding his hands tight, Viktor leaned forward and gently kissed Yuuri. "It'll be the two of us together forever?" Dazed, Yuuri nodded pulling his hands from Viktor's in order to hug his fiancé tight. He kissed Viktor's neck, nudging his long silver hair out of the way. "I never want to be apart from you."

"Never," Yuuri whispered in agreement. "Be mine forever Viktor."

The pair stood there for a long time in the shining city lights. The church bells continued to ring in the background. People walked by, chatting to one another and completely unaware of the intimate moment that had just occurred between Yuuri and Viktor. It didn't matter. Their engagement and marriage were for them alone.

 

 

 

Phichit skated first in the Grand Prix Finals. He showed no fear as he circled out onto the ice and performed to "Shall We Skate?" As usual, the routine excited the crowd, causing a roar of applause at the end. "You'll do great Yuuri!" Phichit said as he stepped off the ice and over to the kiss and cry with Celestino.

"That was amazing Phichit!" Yuuri called back with a smile. He turned back to stare out across the ice, feeling a bit woozy. He stepped out and turned to face Viktor who smiled back at him.

"Show the world your Agape," Viktor said softly, reaching out to caress Yuuri's face. "You've perfected it so well." Yuuri nodded and caught his hand to kiss the engagement ring. "Do your best."

With that said, Yuuri flew out to the center of the ice. The crowd cheered even louder than they had for Phichit, which made Yuuri's head spin. _I'll do my best._ He thought as the soft music began to play. After that, his mind went blank. He spun through the routine, dancing across the ice in perfect step sequences and spins. He landed each jump perfectly, with a crisp click of his skate. Cheers erupted as the song came to an end, and Yuuri raised his hands to the sky. He turned to look towards Viktor, who leapt up and down in joy.

"Did I do well?" He called out, collecting a few gifts on his way back to Viktor.

"That was beautiful Yuuri!" Viktor exclaimed as he pulled him into his arms. "Just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore!"

Then, the unthinkable happened. As Yuuri and Viktor sat together in the kiss and cry, the announcer boomed out, "Yuuri Katsuki has broken Viktor Nikiforov's record for the short program!"

Shocked, Yuuri turned to Viktor with a grin. He stared back with a bittersweet smile and kissed him. "Congratulations world record holder," He whispered.

At that moment, Yuri pulled off his jacket and tossed it aside to step out onto the ice. "Don't get too excited," He yelled over at the pair. Smoothing a few stray blonde strands, Yuri sent Yuuri a cocky smile. "You won't hold it for long."

"Davai Yurio!" Both Viktor and Yuuri called back, unphased by the threat.

Rolling his eyes, Yuri skated out to the center of the rink. Then, as the quick music began to play something new took him over. The young skater flashed across the ice, moving quickly and passionately. His step sequences were perfect, causing loud cheers from the audience. "Yurio has done a great job perfecting Eros," Viktor commented. "I wondered if the step sequences would be difficult for him, but he has a good handle on it."

Yuuri nodded, watching his friend in awe. He felt so lucky to know so many wonderful skaters. As the program continued, Yuri flew into the air for each of his quads, soaring higher in each one.

"Amazing!" Viktor cheered.

As the program reached its end, Yuri stood breathless, gasping for air. He waved to the crowd with a proud grin and skated back over to head to the kiss and cry with Yakov and Lilia. To everyone's shock, the announcer soon called out, "Yuri Plisetsky has beaten Yuuri Katsuki's newly earned world record."

Yuuri winced slightly while Viktor whistled. "That's the power of selfish love," He remarked, wrapping an arm around Yuuri's waist. "But there's still the free skate."

Following Yuri, Chris skated an excellent short program that beat out Phichit's. Following him, Otabek Altin skated out onto the ice. "Davai!" Yuuri called from the stands, watching Otabek with a smile.

"I didn't know you knew Otabek," Viktor said, glancing over at Yuri with a curious smile.

"Shut up old man," Yuri snapped back, blushing a bit. Otabek managed to pull off a perfect routine. It fell short of the two Yuri's scores, but still placed him in third. Sitting in the stands together, both of the Yuri's shared a worried glance as JJ took the ice. "There's no way he can beat my record," Yuri said with a near snarl.

"He won the Grand Prix Finals last year," Yuuri replied nervously.

Together they watched with held breaths as JJ completely self-destructed on the ice. Yuuri's eyes widened in shock as the world class skater's quads and triples turned to simple jumps, and his spins slowed down considerably. It was a failure of a program. Even though, the whole stadium cheered and sang his song. Annoyed, Yuri flipped up his hood and sulked, but Yuuri felt a smile coming to his face. It was wonderful to see how much people cared. Viktor squeezed his hand gently, and Yuuri smiled at him.

The following day brought another round of tough competition. Once again, JJ fell flat from anxiety although he improved a little over his disastrous short program. "Good luck!" Yuuri called to Phichit as he friend skated out onto the ice. The Thai skater managed to pull off a beautiful performance that toppled JJ's scores, although his lead didn't last long as Chris swiftly defeated him. Yuuri watched nervously as the high score was pushed up once again with Otabek's performance. Then it was his turn.

"Do your best," Viktor whispered as he hugged him. "You haven't broken all of my world records yet."

Yuuri laughed and pulled away, kissing Viktor's hand before he headed out to the ice. As he stood out there waiting for the song to start, he thought of the first moments he stepped out onto the ice. His legs had wobbled so much, and he kept falling, but Yuuri was determined. His determination grew after watching Viktor skate for the first time. Now, he was surrounded by so many wonderful friends and amazing figure skaters. He looked to the stands, seeing Phichit wave to him wildly. Yuri stood by the rink with his headphones in, doing final stretches before his routine. Yuuri raised his eyes to see Minako and Mari sitting higher up in the stands, screaming his name and waving the Japanese flag. Finally, Yuuri locked eyes with Viktor as the music began to play.

"Yuuri Katsuki has beaten Viktor Nikiforov's world record for the free skate and highest total score! Ladies and gentlemen, you have just witnessed the birth of a legend!"

At the awards ceremony, Yuuri stood proudly with the gold medal around his neck. Yuri stood to one side with the silver while Otabek stood to his other side with the bronze. Grinning, Yuuri stared ahead. His heart pounded in his chest as Viktor cheered loudly for him. "What a dork," Yuri said with a roll of his eyes. "Keep your gross love to yourself." Even as he spoke, Yuuri saw a small smile on his face. "I guess you did take care of him Katsudon."

"I guess I did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE 3/20/17: Fixed minor grammatical issues and phrasing.


End file.
